#and i also should not have to read the entire recipe and hope i'm picking up on the right ingredients as key flavors

[sing-you-fools]

fixing the cookbook i got yesterday

i'll be honest, i'm generally a defender of food bloggers telling their life stories. not that i want to read them, just - it's their blog. if you don't want blog-ish content, go somewhere that isn't a blog for a recipe, y’know? like food.com or, say, a cookbook.

well, this cookbook gives completely incoherent names to all the pies (and tarts) contained within, the paragraph under the recipe's incomprehensible title is just a bunch random irrelevant shit about the author's life, and there's

LITERALLY NO WAY TO TELL WHAT THE RECIPE IS FOR WITHOUT CAREFULLY READING THE ENTIRE GODDAMN THING

fuck you lauren ko

[bitterbutblue]

What if i request Robin x Fem!Reader where Robin felt a bit pressured from the media and as her beloved girlfriend you help her relief stress :33

It can be fluff or smut, i dont rlly care i just want more Robinnn content :333

Thank you in advance!!!

Also can i be 🍷 anon? :3

you're not bad, but rather good ☆ robin x fem!reader

~ omg hi!!!! ur my first anon this is so exciting.... i don't do smut but i can totally do fluff.. anything 4 u <3

gonna start naming out the song lyrics i've been using as titles

loveable ~ jo yuri <3 ~

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

Robin's recent comeback- a miserable failure.

Robin's new EP 'Welcome To My World' has been nothing but a colossal failure. With each new album, Robin continues to disappoint- fans are sick of her low effort songs and lack of stage presence. Her comeback stage shows her clearly lack of passion. Just because she has made a name for herself does not mean she can now slack off on stage when fans pay thousands to see her-

You closed the article before you finished reading it. If you continued, you probably would've ended up throwing your phone across the room or do something along the lines of that sort of stupidity that you would end up regretting later. That article was like a knife through the heart for Robin but for you it was a knife through the author's decaying and bleeding out body as you stab that fucker over and over again. Okay, maybe that was too violent but fuck you can't stand to see people say such bullshit about your girlfriend. She called you at work, crying and saying she couldn't do it anymore. You could barely make out her words through her sobs and the bad signal (which led you to believe she was hiding in the bathroom).

"I worked so hard, I don't know what they want from me. I can't-"

"Robin, baby, deep breaths- okay? I'm right here, it's okay."

It infuriates you, how people can run their mouths and say whatever bullshit that comes to their mind just because they're not satisfied with their own miserable lives. Just because they feel like dragging someone down would perhaps make themselves feel better about the fact that someone half their age is more successful than they will ever be. You want to tell her that you'll fucking find them and make their life a living hell but that's definitely not what she wants to hear right now.

"What do they want from me? I'm so tired, I don't wanna do this anymore."

All you really could do was continue to comfort her, hoping that she can pick up what you're saying through the static and cut offs due to bad internet. You just stayed with her until her cries became sniffles and she stated that she has to go before they suspect anything. You swallowed back your worry and just nodded.

"Okay. I love you, Robin.

You can feel her smile from across the phone.

"I love you."

That night you spent the entire evening in the kitchen, prancing around and trying not to burn the eight things you have going on the stove as you flip through your phone to find that recipe for the thing in the oven that looks horrifically bad.

"Ah fuck..."

You check the time- 8:03, she should be back soon. You finally find the recipe page and you feel your heart drop. Fuck, you were supposed to bake it for 30 minutes- not 50! No wonder that shit looked so wrong! You scramble to pull it out of the oven, the timer with 5 minutes left. You groan when you see how it looks- first it looked wrong and now it was probably burnt too. So much for making your girlfriend's favourite dessert.

"Love?"

The soft voice startles you, yelping as you dropped the cake pan.

"Shit!"

Robin stands there in all her glory. She looks exhausted, eye bags worse than before and shoulders sagged but to you she was still the most beautiful woman you have ever laid your eyes on.

"Everything okay?"

She tries to smile at you but it looks so forced. You feel your heart clenching in your chest as you pick up the cake pan from the ground, moving it back onto the counter.

"Baby, just let me take care of you tonight?"

You pull her in close, hugging her tight. She freezes at first, before completely melting in your grasp. She lets out a shaky sigh as she buries her head in the crook of your neck.

"I missed you."

Her voice is muffled against your shoulder but you just smile as you tiptoe to press a kiss to her forehead.

"I missed you so much, baby." You pull away, cupping her face with your hands as you brush your thumb against her cheek. "You look beautiful."

"Don't lie."

She gets flustered so easily, face turning pink as she looks away but she can't stop the small smile from forming on her face.

"I'm not. You look beautiful."

She sighs as she looks back at you, and the tired expression on your usual warm and happy girlfriend really does hurt you. The way the media can tear people down into nothing but the most insecure parts of themselves has always rubbed the wrong way with you but watching it happen to the one you love most is absolutely heartbreaking.

"I made you dinner?"

"I saw."

Her smile is not as forced now as she looks around the kitchen, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

"Quite a mess you made."

You just shoot an embarrassed grin at her as you tried to hide the cake pan behind your back.

"Well, I'm not a good cook."

"I think you did amazing."

She steps forward, caging you between the counter and herself.

"You make the worst days brighter, you know?"

"You make each of my days better. It's only fair I do the same to you."

Robin looks down, playing with her hands.

"I don't deserve you."

"Oh shut up."

The kiss was soft, gentle and loving. She cups your cheeks as she steps closer, bodies pressed against each other as you pour all the love you can convey through a simple act.

"I love you. I really love you so much, Robin." You say breathlessly to her when you pull away. She doesn't say much, only resting her head on your shoulder as she takes your hand into her own, lacing your fingers together.

"And I'm so proud of you for your new comeback. You've worked so hard and it paid off. You keep outdoing yourself and the people who don't see that can fuck off and die."

She sighs.

"No need for the violence, yeah?"

"Violence is always the answer."

You feel your heart flutter when she lets out a soft laugh, like a songbird's first melody of a new spring.

"You do whatever you want." She says, resting a hand on your chest as she leans in to press a quick but soft kiss to your lips. "Thank you- for this."

"Always."

The food you cooked was mostly inedible- resorting to the two of you ordering takeout together but you couldn't care less about the burnt cakes or undercooked mac and cheese. Robin is smiling again, and that's all you wanted to achieve for the night.

Response to: Robin's recent comeback- a miserable failure.

Robinsdog: op do u not have a life

servallandau_official: No one thinks this.

⤷ talesofthewinterlandsfan222: serval spitting facts but also what r u diong here

⤷ servallandau_official: Do I know you?

⤷ talesofthewinterlandsfan222: ENEVRMIND

march4robin: im giong to find u my entire crew is oing to find u we will run out train into u

galaticstelleballer: i am also going to run my train into u. and my bat. both at the same time.

⤷ dh: Guys please.

Sunday_Oakfamily: We are taking this post and the writer off the platform.

The article you are searching for no longer exists.

[elvisabutler]

show off

fandom: elvis 2022 | elvis presley rating: m pairing: elvis presley ( big daddy flavor ) x female reader word count: 2100 you didn't see any other word count. warnings: cockwarming! p in v sex ( unprotected ). public play. mildly excessive baby talk. use of buntyn and nungen and princess as nicknames. mild embarrassment kink? author’s note: welcome to day 11 of ally’s wet hot smut summer, public play with big daddy elvis presley x reader. sorry this took a minute, i've been incredibly exhausted lately and so it's made finishing things a bit of an adventure. quick notes for this fic, this is a sort of au, in that i placed it in a mythical place where elvis doesn't die in 77 and is free of his vegas residency in the 70s. so maybe call it a nebulous 78 to 80? reader is implied to have been with him for years and you can read it as having an age difference but it's in my head as not having one. basically this is secretly a reader version of quiet on the set's future and i'm not sorry for it. beyond that if y'all have left me a comment on any of my fics or anything i'm going to get back to them. when i tell you i've been exhausted it's been a lot. without further ado, i hope y'all like this. also pick if you want austin elvis or real elvis the end.

There's something funny about how Elvis would prefer the two of you to be private. There is something truly and genuinely hilarious to you about the fact that he preferred the two of you to be private. His argument has always been that the happiest he ever is in his life is during those private moments with the people he loves. You always argue that he can't show you off like you know he wants to if you're being private and yet he'll flash that little twinkle in his eye and ignore your protests. So much of his life isn't private but the love he has for you— the love between the two of you is supposed to be private. An oasis for him to relax in as much as he does in Hawai‘i.

Despite all of this you know so very well how much he cares for you and how much he loves you. And if you were being entirely honest, the privacy makes the times he does want to show you off all the more special. Indeed it makes the times he does feel like delightful surprises.

Maybe that's why you had agreed to come play poker with him and the boys. It's been a long time since you've enjoyed that sort of thing and you've missed it. Truthfully it's been a while since Elvis has even been in Vegas, memories of how he almost was stuck in a revolving door of engagements here cluttering his mind and giving him a nightmare or two. So having him enjoying time with friends and you seems like a perfect recipe for a night. Of course, you should know better by now, know how Elvis always has something up his sleeve. A playful little trick he can play with that glint in his eye.

"Where's my chair, Mr. Presley?" You ask, not bothering with his nickname or his first name. There always was something fun about how he acted a bit like an admonished schoolboy when you called him Mr. Presley. "Can't very well play poker if I don't have a chair."

Elvis looks at you and gives you that sly smile you know so very well by now as he pats his lap, thigh jiggling just a tad as he does. There's that glint in his eyes that spells trouble of the best and worst kind. "Ya got a chair right here, Princess. Nice 'n plush too."

You'd think after all these years and after seeing his body through so many changes that you wouldn't be affected by the jiggle of his thigh and the open v of his legs. Yet, you're a woman who knows what she wants and you're the woman he put a ring on all those years ago. Most of the things he does get you more hot under the collar than they have any right to. This is one of those things. You feel your pussy clench around nothing and despite yourself you rub your thighs together even as you're standing.

"Are we playing as a team, then? Us against the boys?" The questions roll off your lips with an ease and familiarity only you manage when it comes to him. "Otherwise I think you'd be able to cheat."

As you speak, you've started to walk closer to him and finally find yourself at arm's length. Elvis wastes no time in grabbing your arm and pulling you flush against his lap, his thighs cushioning your behind and his cock stirring ever so slightly under his stomach. A gasp leaves your lips unexpectedly.

His arm wraps around your waist, making sure you don't move too much while he talks. "My wife accusin' me of cheatin' at cards. I could take ya thinkin' I'd step out on ya but I would never cheat at poker."

The soft rumble of a laugh courses through your body and has you following suit as you shift in his lap. "I let you step out and you let me as a present. But I know you're a sore loser who can't focus when I'm here."

You turn your head just slightly, watching as Elvis's eyes practically dance with mirth. He's mercurial as all get out when he wants to be but he can take some good-natured teasing when it comes from you. It's why you've worked well all these years.

"Now honey, my yittle nungen, I know you're still smartin' from that game ya lost against me 'bout a week ago but that ain't no reason to be tellin' lies about my sportsmanship."

A defense is on the tip of your tongue when you feel Elvis's warm hand against your thigh, slipping under your dress that you decided to wear today. That warmth does away with the words in such a quick fashion that you find yourself biting your lip to keep from sighing. "Elvis."

You say his name in a feather soft whisper as his friends start to trickle into the room. You've been in a situation like this before, when you were younger and somehow just as randy as you were now but Elvis hadn't done something like this in ages. He hadn't even thought to tease you like this in ages.

As if he isn't paying attention, he merely hums at your whisper of his name and uses his arm to maneuver your crotch against his cock, the flowing fabric of your dress hiding his actions from prying eyes. You don't know when or how he managed to free his cock from the confines of his pants and yet he has. That hand that innocently is burning against your thigh has crept up to your panties and with the ease of someone who knows your body like the back of their hand, he moves them just enough to the side to slide inside of you.

"Goddamn. Didn't expect ya to be so wet. Was hopin' but— Lord almighty, ya gonna stain my pants if ya move." Ironically you choose just that moment to move, attempting to get off of him for a moment before his grip on your waist stops you. "Nungen, you be a good girl for yer Buntyn and stay put. Can't have 'em seein' Lil Elvis, now can we?"

You feel the heat of mild embarrassment and excitement flush through your body as a shiver racks it. A shake of your head is the only answer you can manage for a moment. "You want me to sit like this for the whole game, baby?"

Elvis nuzzles his lips against your neck, his eyes taking in his friends pulling out their seats and sitting down, none the wiser to what was happening in his lap. They wave at you and you, ever the courteous host wave back and even smile, saying hello as Elvis mumbles words into your neck. He doesn't need to greet everyone, not while he's buried inside of you, his cock leaking precum like he's ready to fuck you on the table instead of just letting you sit on his cock. Besides, they know better than to disturb him when the two of you are wrapped up in one another.

The chair isn't close enough to the table and you move to drag it a little closer, or drag both you and Elvis a little closer only to have what feels like the world's loudest squelch come from between your thighs. No one looks at the pair of you as if they heard it but to Elvis and you it might as well have been a shout. You let out a shaky breath as you shift to try and make yourself comfortable. Elvis's legs open up just a bit more to make sure you're where you need to be, even as he thrusts just a tad. "Gotta stay still. Gonna, if ya move— I might just take ya on this table, damn the game."

You can't help but swallow at the idea, your mouth filling with saliva at the mere idea of being flipped thrown onto the table, pussy exposed to people you and him call friends. It's primal and practically voyeuristic and the sort of thing both you and Elvis aren't incredibly fond of with your relationship and yet. Yet it fills you with such arousal you feel it actually dampening his pants as the game starts.

Elvis isn't the worst of poker players but in combination with you, he's nigh unstoppable. Of course, maybe that's because everyone else's eyes are on you, wondering why you haven't moved to the empty chair next to Elvis. Jerry— who's there on a surprise visit is closest to the two of you and raises an eyebrow as he looks at his cards and then at you. You clench around Elvis's cock in a bit of worry.

"Is it a little warm in here?" A simple question to everyone but from the way he's staring both of you down it's not meant to be one. Both you and Elvis open your mouth before you kiss Elvis to stop whatever one liner is about to leave his lips.

"With how cold he keeps it in here? The only reason I don't need a jacket is because of his body heat," you practically titter out a laugh, the fear of being caught heightening your arousal even further. You feel your clit throbbing as everyone laughs at your joke.

Jerry rolls his eyes and shakes his head looking down at your lap. Still, the game is going nicely, with Elvis winning more hands than not and you trying to grab at a free hand to get some form of relief. After what feels like an eternity Elvis finally has his hand move between your legs, his calloused fingers brushing up against your aching little clit.

"Haven't teased ya like this in years, have I, Princess?" Elvis murmurs against your ear, feeling your vagina clench around him. "Haven't shown everyone how good ya are for me for a long time, have I? Haven't made 'em realize why I couldn't forget 'bout ya."

Your answer is a hum caused by you biting your lip to keep the cry that threatens to escape your lips at the pressure of his fingers against you. It's not enough for Elvis though, he knows you can control yourself better than he ever can. "Darlin' use ya words."

"It's been too long," you choke out the words, one of your hands moving to grip his meaty thigh and the other to grip at the table. You can feel your walls fluttering around Elvis, feel your body tensing up as it chasing something you know he won't give you in public. The face you make when he pulls an orgasm from you is one that's strictly between the two of you. Yet you're so wound up that you fear you'll be leaning over the table for support as soon as he says the word. In an attempt to alleviate something, anything you try and bounce only to have him nip at your ear.

"Ask me nicely, Nungen. Ask me nicely. Give 'em their game and their show. Remind 'em I caught ya jus' the same as ya caught me." His voice is more of a grunt as he slides a set of chips into the pot wordlessly. "Show 'em what I get in bed every night. What 'm wakin' up to every night 'less ya let me stray. Show 'em what I see after I've eaten my dessert.

Despite the way you're biting your lips so hard they're practically bleeding a noise that sounds like a scream forces its way out of your lungs and mouth as you clench around Elvis. You feel a gush that you only identify with times you've been played with so much by Elvis that you make a mess of every sheet you have. His pants are ruined but they'd be anyway from how you feel a warm rush of his cum follow yours. Through the grace of God himself you don't fall onto the table, instead stabilizing yourself using Elvis's thigh and somehow his lap in general. Your breath takes a few minutes to even out, even as everyone watches you and Elvis panting as if you've run a marathon. There's a knowing look that crosses everyone's face but everyone is too scared to speak until finally you smile and smooth out your dress as if you plan on standing up.

"This is why you're losing boys, you can't pay attention the game."

You make no effort to get off of Elvis's lap.

taglist: @ab4eva , @blurredcolour, @butlersxbirdy, @precious-little-scoundrel, @eliseinmemphis, @prompted-wordsmith, @missmaywemeetagain, @lookingforrainbows, @araxw, @thatbanditqueen, @ellie-24, @austinbutlersgirl67, @heartbrake-hotel, @ccab, @18lkpeters, @slutforsomegoodlettuce, @dkayfixates, @kendralavon7 @chasingwildflowers, @notstefaniepresley, @wanderingelvis, @kxnnxy, @powerofelvis, @stylespresleyhearted @be-my-ally, @mooodyblue, @pixiedustcosmos, @jessicarcates, @amydarcimarie, @flwrs4aust @myradiaz, @adaydreamaway08, @arabellalightning505, @doll-elvis guarantee i'm missing someone. i tried the end. also i clearly added this originally. also you want to be added just ask me. i keep forgetting people or losing people in these and just it's a mess.

[aita-family-holiday]

Oh hey, this got posted! Might as well give some updates then.

"Can't you visit them any other time, too?" - I'm capable of it, yes, but unfortunately I'm afflicted with Forgets So So Many Things disease and I don't want to bother anyone. Add that to the fact that my dad and his wife can also visit at any time and the latter of the two will no doubt start shit if she sees me and you have a recipe for constant paranoid avoidance. It'd also be a massive shame to miss any Christmas events since, barring quarantine, I've been to all of them on that side of the family.

"Can't you host your own event at your house?" - Not really. I live with my mom, and she's constantly talking about how ashamed she is about how the house looks, so I haven't been able to have a proper gathering for something since maybe my 12th birthday or so. Such is depression and general family-wide mental illness.

"Pleaae get therapy for this!" - Only one person is saying this, but I still feel like it's important to address. I do have therapy, but the interesting thing is that I also have so so much trauma from my dad and his wife. I didn't mention it in the ask because then it'd be venty and upsetting, but the bottom line is they were abusive to me and my sister pretty much the whole time we lived with them, especially his wife who STILL takes every chance she gets to verbally and emotionally abuse us. This isn't even, like, anyone blowing simple discipline out of proportion -- this has been recognized by multiple licensed professionals. (Coincidentally not by any of the highly-religious therapists that dad's wife picked out for us, though! Curious.)

Speaking of those medical professionals, the most recent one was someone who said they had to report it regardless of if the victims were now an adult and her very-almost-adult younger brother. If that goes anywhere, our understanding is that at worst dad's wife will be able to trace the report back to us and we'll have hell to pay and at best she'll get proper arrested for abuse because she has done a LOT to us, so either way that'd also put some extra strain on showing up to any christmas events. The best we can really do is hope, I suppose!

Plus, my grandma has open and active disdain for dad's wife and is entirely aware of her abuse, so I think it'd be funny to go to her and be like "Hey, granny, you know how you never liked that woman? Good news!" for the bit. Very likely wouldn't do it, but it'd be funny.

Sorry that this is so long, I love love love talking for way longer than I should. Words are like my best friends. Thanks for reading all of them!

WIBTA if I sidestepped not being contacted for holiday stuff? My dad's side of the family does thanksgiving and christmas stuff pretty much every year, but this time he didn't reach out to me and my older sister for the former of the two. The last time we directly spoke was after a horrible amusement park experience that made my sister vow not to go along with any sort of family outing he sets up. The problem is, if we don't go through my dad (or heaven forbid, his wife) we don't get to see our grandmother, aunts, cousins, etc. past our granny occasionally stopping by. I'm not entirely sure about my sister's feelings on it, and I don't intend to put any words in her mouth, but I dread the idea of not being able to see the parts of the family that don't entirely hate me. Not everyone on that side of the family likes me, granted -- it tends to happen with at least one family member when you're trans -- but most of them are on anywhere from good terms with me to being some of my go-to relatives in times of need. My idea is that I could contact an aunt or my grandmother asking them about any holiday gatherings that are coming up, but I realized a little while ago that for one family thanksgiving might have just... not happened this year, and for two my father likely didn't reach out because he's still mad at me for "ruining the trip" -- a long and largely unrelated story, but to summarize the important points I misjudged how severe my chronic pain would get after a lot of walking and had to sit down apparently long enough for my dad and his wife to get pissed off and fuss over it -- and I'd rather not rekindle his vitriol on accident.

It'd inarguably be a dick move to try and do this for any other reason than "I have a right to see my family regardless of how my dad feels", but I think it's also kind of a dick move to do it *for* that reason? Especially since his wife's likely spread enough lies about me over that trip to at least sour the mood at a christmas dinner provided I showed up. I wouldn't drag my sister into it against her will or without her knowledge, though I'd prefer if she tagged along if only because having someone rational to defend me if he or the wife started anything would be a godsend, so it's really just a matter that involves me here. (Unless she sees this ask, in which case: Surprise! I've felt so horribly garbage since that trip that I also immediately assumed it was dad being butthurt!) If I gave into my simultaneous spite for not being communicated with and intrinsic guilt for not visiting the family enough against my father's presumed wishes and his wife's very-likely-intended wishes, WIBTA?

What are these acronyms?

[luminari-mc]

What Was Left Behind

Genre: Angst

Pairing: Mammon x GN!MC... without MC.

Summary: Mammon and MC had a child who inherited a demon's lifespan. A reality too difficult to bear, especially when MC isn't there to hold either of them anymore.

Warnings: Mentions of death and MC's mortality.

A/N: My brain is a recipe for disaster.

___________________________________________

A chill breeze shook the branches of the dark trees of the House of Lamentation's backyard, the moon of the Devildom high in the sky as a couple of thin clouds passed slowly in front of it. Perched on the edge of the roof, a group of crows cawed in unison, before taking flight into the night sky at the sound of the entrance door swinging open without warning.

A small figure trotted down the stairs leading to the deeper parts of the backyard in a hurry, where the tombstones of the property decorated its grounds. Cradling an assortment of flowers wrapped in thin golden foil in their arms, they made their way through the graves, before slowing their pace upon arriving to the prettiest gray stone in the yard, the only one where time hadn't damaged it, and which had been kept as new as the day it was dug there.

"Good evening." The child spoke. "I brought you white lilies today."

The young body leaned forward to carefully place the bouquet on the stone. "I got them this afternoon, and I bought them myself this time. I didn't ask for Uncle Lucifer's help, even when he insisted to pay at the counter for me."

They sat criss-cross on the dirt in front of the grave, and joined their hands together on their legs as their eyes stopped on the name engraved in the head of the tombstone.

"He still sees me like a baby... Even though I know how to tie my shoe laces now."

The kid marked a pause before biting their cheek. "... Almost. B-But I'm trying! Uncle Asmo said I should wear heels instead because they don't have laces, but the others said kids can't wear heels as high as his. I tried to walk in them once but I kept falling and it made Uncle Belphie laugh. Did he laugh too when you couldn't tie your shoe laces? Or maybe you already knew how to do them from the start? I never asked them if you did..."

They fell silent, as if awaiting some sort of response from the stone. After a few seconds, they crossed their arms and pouted.

"They always say I have to learn big kids stuff sooner or later, but it's always so difficult... Uncle Satan's lessons are too weird. He says words I don't understand when he reads me my stories. And when Uncle Lucifer reads them to me, the words are always the real ones and not those complicated adult ones. So weird..."

They shifted in their seat, their hand wandering aimlessly on the ground as they picked a handful of dirt and threw it deeper into the yard. "Oh, yeah, Uncle Beel made a big soup of bat wings and chicken legs yesterday. I remember when you said I wouldn't like it long long ago, but I ended up eating the entire bowl and it made you smile. He said he also remembered that time and that's why he made some yesterday. I was happy because it made him smile, too."

"And, huuuh..." Their interest fell on a small blue rock, which they picked between their fingers to inspect it. "Uncle Levi let me sleep in his room last night for anime night. He said I could have his big Ruri-chan blanket- you know, the one he always seals away because he's scared I'm gonna make it dirty by wetting the bed. He made me wear three more pairs of pajama pants just to be sure, even when I said I'm a big kid now and I don't do that anymore, but I said okay so I could prove him he was wrong."

They pocketed the rock in their pocket. "Uncle Lucifer strung him from the ceiling when he learned about the extra pants this morning. I laughed a little because he kept wiggling around. I hope that wasn't too mean."

After digging around some more, and not finding any cool rocks to bring back to their room later, the child fell silent again. Each day they visited the grave of their lost parent, and each day they felt like they were recycling the same topics over and over again. What could they say that would make their parent happy? Making up lies to add spice to their daily life had been an idea that had sprung in their head once, but they had quickly dismissed it after remembering their eldest uncle telling them that lying wouldn't bring them anywhere in life. Something they still found a little bit stupid, considering their demon lineage.

Demons weren't supposed to be good... but they wanted to be good. Because that's what they, had always wanted.

"Say." The kid crawled forward to climb onto the grave, gently pushing the bouquet aside to lie down on the cold stone. They felt the dust sticking to their cheek as they pressed it against the marble, but paid no mind to it, rather choosing to wipe the dirt away with their hand.

"Dad cried again last night." Their voice turned into a whisper, as if afraid of being heard by the shadows around them.

"I forgot to give my good night kiss before bed yesterday, but when I went to his bedroom, he was crying on the couch and I didn't enter. I saw because the door was a little bit open."

They stared into nothing as they recounted the scene in their young mind. "Last time I told Uncle Lucifer about it, but this time I didn't say anything because it makes him upset whenever the others know when he cries. But I don't get upset when someone sees me crying, so he also doesn't need to be shy about it, right? I'm sad too that you aren't here anymore."

The beating of wings above their head caused them to look up at the new presence resting atop the tombstone, feathery black in appearance, head tilted to the side and staring intently into their eyes. The child opened their mouth slightly at the bird, before looking back at the engraved name in the marble.

"I don't want him to cry all the time." They said, pushing on their arms to sit back on the grave. "Everyone always look so sad when they talk about you. One time, King Diavolo said I looked a lot like you, all happily, then he stopped smiling after looking away... but I noticed!"

Their tone suddenly turned more aggressive. "It's your fault everyone is always sad! Why did you have to be born a human? If you had been a demon, you could have lived longer, and you would still be here and make everyone smile a-and you'd still be with me! A-And you wouldn't have left me and Dad a-and--!"

The more words they tried to let out, the more their voice broke down, until the only sounds they could make were a mixture of sobs and hiccups. They passed their wrists upon their eyes again and again but in vain, the tears flowing down their cheeks and lips before crashing onto the stone below. The crow wasn't there anymore.

"It's not fair you had to die before me." They managed to say between sobs, the feeling of their heart hammering within their chest hurting the more they tried to hold themself back.

"I didn't want to grow so slowly. We didn't have the time to play together because you grew old way too quickly, and we couldn't do our usual stuff because that would have been dangerous for you. I wanna play chase around the house with you again, and I wanna have you hold me in your arms and not say you aren't strong anymore to do so. I want you back..."

They loathed the fragility of the human race. This inability to hold for more than a hundred years, to keep their body healthy and strong until time turned stronger against them and claimed their strength and life-force without warning.

The child recalled a trip they and their dad had taken to the Reaper's Lair, where they had first seen the light of their candle flicker within the dark cave, along with their parents' and uncles'.

They were young at the time, even younger than now-- barely able to form a comprehensive word, but they knew what those lights represented. Their dad spoke of the difference between demons, angels and humans. Spoke about their differences when it came to how long each lived. When they looked at their father, the blue flames mirroring in his eyes, they had noticed his sudden lack of smile as he pronounced his next words. 'We gotta take our time with them for granted. That's why we gotta love them each day of their life, and show that we're grateful to be with them. You got that, kiddo?'

They had gotten it. And even then, as they continued to empty their sorrow under the light of the moon, they still did. Even if their parent had grown old much faster than them, their memories with them were still vivid, colorful, and happy. But maybe it was greedy, to wish they could have made more lovable memories just for a while longer.

"Hey, kiddo."

The child sniffed, brushing an eye with their sleeve before turning around to the voice that was calling out to them. They watched as their father's figure walked from down the house's stairs, to kneel by their side.

"Dad..."

"Another one of those days, huh?" Mammon ruffled the child's hair. "What's got ya in such a state now?"

"I..." They looked down at their hands, grasping the fabric of their shirt. "I told them... I-I said something mean to them..."

"What mean thing?"

"That... it was their fault for making everyone sad." Their cheeks turned redder, the lips wobbly. "Because they left us behind."

Mammon stared at the child, his hand still resting upon their head. He didn't feel surprised by their words- probably because it wasn't the first time he had heard them saying something similar. Rare were the times where the child would lash out at anyone regarding the passing of their human parent, but rarer were the times where they would blame the human directly.

He couldn't be angry at them. He, too, was guilty in the past of thinking of tempting MC into using magic to lengthen their lifespan and stay with him longer. But you were always too stubborn about that, wantin' to stay as yourself until the very end. To keep your humanity.

I loved you for that.

"Kid." Mammon motioned with his finger for the child to rise up, which they promptly did. On their feet, they were barely any taller than a crouched-down Mammon. The latter placed a hand on their shoulder, and looked them in the eyes.

"What did I say the last time we mentioned humans having short lives?"

"That we couldn't do anything about it." The child pouted. "That the Devildom forbids altering a person's lifespan for selfish reasons. You said it a lot."

"Right, that I did. And even if the King wanted to keep them around for us, he couldn't have gone after what MC said. They wanted to leave as a human. Would you have broken their trust?"

The child's shoulders sank. "No... I wouldn't have wanted them to be mad at me."

"And so did we." Mammon said. "They might not be here physically anymore, but that doesn't mean they aren't watching over us every day, and making sure we're still a happy family. We can't see or hear them, but as long as we don't forget about them, they'll be around. Got that?"

"Okay..." They replied, despite the bitter taste in their mouth. They shyly raised their face to look at their father. "Do you think they're mad at me? For saying it's their fault for dying?"

"Nah. There's no way they'd be mad at you for something like that. Even now, they still love you." Mammon chuckled. "Besides, how could anyone hate ya? You're too damn cute."

"I-I'm not cute!" They puffed their cheeks. "I just don't want them to think I hate them."

"Sometimes you say words you don't mean to say. They're there to hide your true feelings." Mammon spoke. "They know you miss 'em, and they know you love them. You showed them enough of that when you were younger, remember?"

The kid nodded, sniffling once last time before shaking their head. They knew this lecture would probably have to be renewed in the future, but for now, they'll try to believe their father's words. Everyone would be happier if they weren't sad, after all.

"It's chilly out." The demon gently tapped the child's arm before getting back on his feet. "You should get back inside. You were so hasty in giving their flowers that you forgot to eat your dessert."

"What- Aah! No! Uncle Beel's gonna eat it!" They realized in a panic as they stepped off the grave with wide eyes.

"Relax, I hid it. It's packed in my closet. But you better run before he finds it with that super nose he's got."

"T-Thank you dad." They tug on his shirt to make him kneel down before kissing his cheek. "I'm sorry I cried."

"Everyone cries." Mammon reassured them. "Come on, get going. And tell me later if it was good, so we can buy more next time."

The child nodded before running away from their father. Mammon waited until they climbed the staircase and slammed the entrance door behind them, before placing his hands in his pockets as the wind brushed past him, making his jacket flap and his bangs move on his forehead.

"I know I say this everytime but..." he turned around to glance at the gray stone. "You really did a good job with them. If it had been just me... Nah. It's better not to think how they would have turned out actually."

The dry leaves crunched beneath his feet as he moved near the grave, a hand coming to softly brush the petals of the flowers resting on its side.

"Human kindness is one hell of a thing. You'd always tell me that I was more human than I thought, and I never understood what you meant. But now I look at the kid we raised and I think I finally understand a little." He retrieved his hand from the bouquet, and smiled at the name. "Seriously... they're the best thing you could have left me, MC."

With a huff, Mammon lowered himself to sit on the ground beside the grave, a knee raised to prop his arm above it, while his free hand laid flat on the dirt next to him.

"Of course we still miss you. Hell, I'm not sure we'll ever stop missing you. I know we're supposed to stop grieving after a while, but... you're making it difficult." He sighed. "I'm not actually blaming ya or anything. Guess in the end, I'm just thinking like our kid. But I know tormenting ourselves on that isn't what you would have wanted, either. So I'll make sure to keep everyone smiling, despite you not being there to do a better job than me."

His hand came to caress the stone, while his gaze switched to look at the stars above him.

"I gotta agree with one thing the kid said though..." A sad smile birthed upon his lips, as the stars shined brightly in the night sky.

"It would have indeed been better, to still have you around a little bit longer."

___________________________________________

Taglist: @amistytown, @the-wilted-amaryllis, @xoxovictoriaa, @obey-me-tho (ask to be added!)

Masterlist

[ninak803]

Letters (XVIII)

Really, why did I ever think roman numbers where a good idea. Someone please tell me the next time to just use anything else, okay? And it's past midnight here and I'm tired, so please just read over any mistakes I made. I hope you enjoy this one! (The next one is already written)

As usual, @whataboutmyfries, who is the best bean in the entire world and we're all so lucky to have her, did all the checking.

Characters by @lumosinlove

Dear Alex,

It was great to have you staying in Gryffindor, so no need to thank me for it. I missed having you around, though I forgot what a chaotic mess you can be! How was I able to deal with it on roadies with you? You enter a room and boom! Chaos! It's fun to watch it unfold.

I know, I know. New York City is the love of your life and there'll never be another city that will be able to compete. It's a gorgeous city, I give you that, but I just don't feel the same way. I'm sorry, Alex.

I told you, you'd love Nat! I'm so glad you two got along so well. Though sometimes it was scary just how well. That one time where I came back home from picking up our food and you two were sitting in the living room, laughing so much, and then you looked at me once and the both of you just laughed more? Super scary. It got even worse when you answered "Nothing" in unison when I asked you what happened. 

No, but honestly, it makes me really happy to see you two together. She's important to me, you're important to me, so obviously I want you two to become friends as well, right?

I do NOT have puppy eyes when looking at her! Shut up, O'Hara! Now I'll tell her to never make that chocolate cake for you again or give you the recipe. And I'm not even sorry.

Nope, I still don't like running, I endured it for you (also I'm supposed to stay fit, so there's that).

I came back from Toronto yesterday. I forgot just how exhausting it can be to be around your family every single day. It's like once you move out, there's no way back to how it was before. You know what I mean? I'm just not used to my mom fussing over me all the time anymore. It was nice to be back for a while, really. I missed my parents and not having to cook was fantastic. I'm bringing Natalie next time. She couldn't make it this time because of her work, but you already knew that, given that we talked about it when you visited. My parents know her. We went for dinner during their last visit, so bringing Nat to Toronto is not to introduce her to my parents, it's more to show her where I grew up and show her all the places I spent time at as a weird (already very hockey obsessed) teenager. I think I'd like that.

Depending on when we'll be able to do that, maybe you can join us? I know we've been talking about going to Canada together for years now (literally), so we should finally do it. Maybe it'll work out fine.

But yeah, Canada was great. I went on a hike with my dad and we had perfect weather (not too hot and not too cold) and the view on top of the mountain was breathtaking. I forgot my phone at home, so I don't have pictures to show you, you have to trust me. When we came back, my mom had prepared dinner and my aunt was there with her kids. They love me. I had to carry the older one on my back for the whole evening and her little brother was clinging to my legs or arms all the time. Good thing, he's only three years old and not heavy. They wanted me to play soccer with them, but it was dark outside already and it was late, so we couldn't do that. Good for me, because we both know I suck at soccer! I wish I was able to see them more often; they grow so fast!

How are things with Inés? Everything's alright? How's your brother? Did you annoy him with your presence as much as I think you did? Have you anything else planned before the next season starts and we'll be super busy again?

I'm just going to spend so much time with Nat. Maybe I can take her on a road trip? I'll ask her later if she wants to.

I hope to hear from you soon,

Kasey

[smileyoongle]

Mafia BTS! Reaction to you treating them to a sweet of your country (Maknae Line)

This was a request by @min-t-posts

I did some searching for this one. I hope you like this, love. Here you go :)

[The hyung line imagine has been posted already, here's the link: Mafia BTS! Reaction to you treating them to a sweet of your country (Hyung Line) ]

Park Jimin:

Jimin smiled slightly as he made his way to his car. Finally, he could go home to you. As he was about to start the car, the back doors of his car were opened. He turned to see Yoongi and Namjoon getting in. The car was silent as they all stared at each other. "Are you waiting for us to give you a manual on how to drive a car?" Yoongi said as he raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm waiting for you to tell me why are you in my car? And also why are you dressed so weirdly?" Jimin frowned as he asked the two men seated in the back seat. He was referring to Yoongi's torso which seemed to be covered in white bandages and Namjoon's black Cape and the blood dripping down his chin which obviously looked fake.

"So you're telling us that you don't know about your girlfriend's Halloween get-together?" Namjoon asked, completely surprised at Jimin's cluelessness. Jimin's eyes widened as he recalled you telling him about how you wanted to celebrate Halloween. Jimin cursed as he started the car. "Oh and she also said she won't let us in if we aren't in costume." Namjoon added, making Jimin sigh. Jimin felt guilty that he wasn't able to help you. He was so busy in dealing with a betrayer that he didn't acknowledge your excitement at all.

"It's okay, you can go as our driver. Anyway that's exactly what you're doing." Yoongi's voice piped up, making Jimin glare at him while Namjoon let out a low laugh. Soon enough, Jimin's mansion came into view. Parking the car in the driveway, he thought of ways to make it up to you. The three men entered the house to find the rest of the members already there. The dining table had a number of dishes, ready to be consumed. The house had been decorated to meet up with the spooky idea of Halloween. Jimin felt hands cover his eyes from behind. He was startled but he smiled, knowing it was you. He took your hand and pulled you infront of him. His eyes lit up with adoration when he saw you in the costume of a bride. He was at a loss of words.

"You're late." You pouted. He cupped your face and smothered you in kisses. "Does that make up for being late?" He said, leaning his forehead against yours. You giggled and nodded. Grabbing his hand, you led him to the dining table where everyone was seated. Seeing everyone eating and enjoying the food made you happy. You'd been cooking since the morning. "I'm sorry you had to do this alone." Jimin hugged you from behind. You took a plate with a slice of pumpkin pie in it and turned to Jimin. "First, tell me how this is." You took a spoonful of the pie and fed it to him.

"I think I'm gonna get diabetes from all this sweetness!" Jin complained as he looked at the two of you. You looked away, embarrassed. "Oh too bad then, you can't have this pie because let me tell you, this is freaking delicious!" Jimin moaned as he took another bite. "Hey Y/N, he isn't in a costume. Shouldn't you be doing something about that?" Taehyung pointed out. Jimin froze, waiting to see what you would do. You hummed as you placed your hands on your hips. You narrowed your eyes at him, "No more pie for you!" You snatched the plate from him. Jimin turned to Taehyung, only to find him smirking. "You're dead." He threatened as the both of them started running around the house, making everyone laugh.

Kim Taehyung:

It was a Sunday morning, which meant you could spend your entire day with Taehyung. You had woken up early for some reason. Seeing that your boyfriend was still asleep, you decided to get ready for the day. After quickly taking a shower and putting on some warm clothes, you went to the kitchen. You wanted to make coffee but to your luck, there was no coffee at home. You didn't wanna wake your sleeping boyfriend, so you decided to get it yourself.

Taehyung woke up to an empty space where you slept. He frowned as he looked around the room. He listened closely to any noise coming from the bathroom. Upon hearing none, he went downstairs to check the rest of the house. Not being able to find you anywhere, he called you but as soon as he heard your ringtone coming from the kitchen, he started getting worried. The first thought coming to his mind was that maybe you ran away. But why would you do that? Hadn't you been happy these days? Hadn't Taehyung given you everything you could possibly want? Anger surged through him as he called everyone to search for you. Unfortunately, you had left your phone at home so you couldn't be tracked either. After about half an hour, Taehyung's attention turned to the entrance of the house. The door slowly opened as you entered, holding a few bags in your hand. Taehyung's eyes widened as he saw you casually walk in and place the bags on the kitchen table.

"Do you mind telling me where you went?" He asked, his voice a bit harsh. You turned to face him. "Oh you're awake. I just went to get some stuff. We were out of coffee." You smiled and shrugged. Taehyung mentally face palmed himself. He had literally sent out everyone to find you because he thought you ran away but here you were. Wordlessly, he pulled you into a tight hug. You froze because of his sudden display of affection but gradually hugged him back. "Don't ever think of leaving me, do you understand?" He whispered to you. You frowned. Why would you do that? You adored how he cared so much about you. "Never." You replied. Pulling away, you went to find something in one of the bags. "So I found some egg waffles on the way!" You grinned as you pulled out the package. Taehyung raised his eyebrows, as if to ask you 'what are those?'. You stared at him, completely baffled. "Are you serious? You don't know what that is?" You asked. He shook his head. Was he supposed to know?

You quickly unwrapped the packaging and handed him one waffle. Hesitantly, he took a bite. His expression turned from confused to delighted in an instant. "Maybe I should let you go out so you can get me this again and again." He nodded as he took another bite. You laughed and went to grab a waffle for yourself. "You know, I thought you ran away. I still have to call everyone to let them know you're back." Taehyung said, walking closer to you. "What?!" You asked, a bit too loudly. "Yeah, just like I'm about to, with your waffle!" He rushed his sentence as he snatched your waffle and ran away. You chased him as you started regretting your decision of giving him the egg waffles, knowing that you won't be getting it back.

Jeon Jungkook:

You had been upset for the past few days. You felt homesick. You missed your hometown. But you couldn't leave Jungkook, not that you had a choice anyway. He was super protective of you. He would try and keep you as close to him as possible. Jungkook had noticed your behaviour but he chose not to talk about it. He knew it would end up in an argument. He was not gonna let you go anywhere. But lately, you had started giving him the silent treatment. He didn't like it one bit but at the same time, he didn't want to make you behave by scaring you. He loved it when you were genuine with him. After thinking of multiple things that he could do to cheer you up, he decided that he was gonna make your favourite dessert. So he searched up the recipe, got the ingredients and started his work when you were busy reading a book in your bedroom.

You hated being away from Jungkook. You felt bad for ignoring him but you thought it was the only way to get him to let you leave for a few days. Since it wasn't working, you decided to stop it. Maybe if you asked him to come with you, he would agree. Your thoughts were interrupted as you heard a loud crash followed by a number of profanities. Keeping your book down, you hurried to see what your boyfriend was doing. On reaching the kitchen, you saw him standing in the middle of broken glasses and what seemed like cocoa powder to you. His eyes were shut as his jaw clenched.

"Are you okay?" Your voice startled him. He opened his eyes to find you looking at him, your eyes filled with worry and concern. He was so happy that you finally talked to him, even if it was just a question. "I'm fine. Go back to your reading, Y/N." He said, bending down to pick up the pieces of broken glass. Ignoring what he said, you started to help him. He sighed in frustration. "You're going to hurt yourself." He warned you. "Will you just tell me what you were doing?" You asked, irritated that he was talking to you so coldly. Sure, his words displayed otherwise but you knew he was being a little harsh. After giving you a small glare, he finally started telling you what he was doing. Your heart clenched, you felt horrible for treating him that way. You quickly hugged him and told him to go clean up. He nodded and left the kitchen. You decided to complete what he left behind.

Jungkook took a quick shower and made his way back to you. You had just finished making the brigadeiros. You smiled and patted yourself on the back for the good work. You saw Jungkook standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, a small smile on his lips. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and taste it!" You pointed to the chocolate balls on the tray. He took one and ate it, his eyes on you the entire time. You blushed under his gaze. Suddenly, a moan left his mouth making your eyes widen. His face twisted into pleasure, the pleasure that you get from food, okay?

"This is good, baby. This is damn good!" He said, eating another one. You chuckled softly and leaned on the counter. Jungkook walked closer to you and wrapped his arms around your waist after finishing the chocolate treat.

"I hate when you're upset with me." He whispered, leaning his forehead against yours. "Me too." You whispered back, wrapping your arms around his neck. He kissed you, pulling you closer. Eventually, you broke the kiss. "Wait, I think you tasted exactly like the chocolate I just had. I guess I'll have to kiss you again, just to be sure." He teased you. You laughed and tried to push him away before he kissed you again.

I'm pretty sure I made this imagine into something it wasn't. But hope you like it. If anything was mentioned incorrectly, please do tell me. Enjoy.

- XX

[lesamisandlesmiserables]

I'm bored so have a spam of questions: 1) Favourite type of music to listen to? 2) Any pets? 3) Plans for the future? 4) Is the glass half full, half empty or entirely full of water and air? 5) Oddest thing you've done when bored? 6) Favourite hobbies?

Cosette: My favourite sort of music is classical compositions, no words at all, just the beautiful flood of the music that plays, relaxing and comforting, there is a haunting beauty within it! I have one dog, who I’ve had ever since he was a newborn puppy, when I was first taken in by Jean Valjean, I received him, and he’s been my constant companion ever since. As for my future plans…Hmm. I suppose I’m just letting the tide of fortune take me wherever, a chance moment can change all. I personally like to look at the glass as full! Why be negative when you can fill your life and the life of others around you with the beauty of positivity, I say. Oddest thing I’ve ever done when bored…Hmm.

Combeferre: If I’m actively listening to the music then it has to be classical music. If it’s just music I have on in the background then it can be virtually anything. I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to background noise/music. Enjolras finds it frustrating when at home because I can only study with music, whereas he studies best in silence. We compromised and I got him some noise cancelling headphones. I have one cat and between us Enjolras and I have two dogs. (They’re scared of the cat) My future plans line up with E’s in that we’re both studying law, although specialising in different areas. From there I’ll probably practice for a few years before settling down to teach.This is an entirely ridiculous question, which is wholly subjective and says more about a person’s outlook than it does on the factual state of the glass itself. In any case, the glass is a container filled with water and air. I serenaded my bookshelf once… that was a weird day. I enjoy reading, listening to music, gardening (Mabeuf introduced me) yoga, and generally being at home.

Enjolras: I don’t listen to music very often, though, if I had to pick a favourite, it would probably be alternative or classical. Ferre and I own two dogs (Maximilien and Socrates) and he also has a cat. As Ferre said, we are both studying law, though I am studying International Human Rights Law specifically, so that way I can better help all people. I don’t tend to view it in any particular way, though I would have to say half full. There is always room for more, but at least there’s something there. The oddest thing i have ever done while bored? I once gathered all of Ferre’s chairs and flipped them over to build a “barricade.” This was when we had just learned about the rebellions after the French Revolution in school. And as for my favourite hobbies, I tend to enjoy attending protests, reading, taking the dogs on walks, and walking around in the rain.

Babet: My taste in music is all over the place. I like a bit of everything. I want a pet bat but apparently that’s unhealthy. I want a dog too, but I wouldn’t have enough time to look after one right now. My plan for the future is to finish my degree and then get my doctorate. Other than that, I tend not to look too far ahead. The glass is probably empty if I’ve been anywhere near it. I’ve done a lot of odd things when I’ve been bored, and I probably shouldn’t admit to most of them. I have too many hobbies to count, but playing instruments is probably my favourite, especially guitar and piano.

Fantine: 1) My favorite type of music is anything upbeat and gets me moving. Life can be hard but you can at least control what you listen to and that is a blessing! 2) No pets sadly. The Thenardiers don’t allow pets in their building. As a child I had a couple of birds, larks actually. 3) Plans for the future? Find my Cosette of course! I haven’t seen her in so long and I hope and pray desperately that she is safe somewhere! I could never manage if I knew she was out there all alone! 4) The glass is empty. That way you can fill it with what you want. 5) Oddest thing I have done out of boredom was knit a scarf that was nearly 8 feet long! I was really distracted with a really good podcast and boom a scarf long enough for a hippo. 6) I don’t have much time for hobbies but I like baking. It’s very methodical (you know exactly what happens next) and as long as your follow the recipe you get something delicious. It is also handy when you are late and need something to convince your boss not to fire you!

Valjean: I don’t really have a favorite music type, anything with a good beat and good message is fine by me. I have a very old dog. She’s a rescue and her name is Cayenne. I’m at that point in my life where I don’t have distinct plans, besides to enjoy working at the library and spend time with my daughter. It’s definitely full. I told the entire library once that we were switching from Library of Congress system to Dewey Decimal system. You should have seen the looks of horror. My favorite hobby, besides gently teasing library student workers, is definitely reading.

Mabeuf: 1) I quite enjoy folk music, and murder ballads are especially fun! 2) My six cats are glorious creatures. I’ve been looking after rescue cats for decades, and one had a litter, so now I have many beautiful darlings. 3) I’d like to see some more change in the world - keep supporting protests, though I’m likely too old to do a great deal myself. Perhaps I can stay around to haunt the university, or something like that… 4) Half full, I suppose - it’s not perfect or finished, but that’s okay. Things don’t have to be. 5) Started translating Dorian Gray into Polari. Oscar would be proud, I think. 6) Reading, gardening, petting cats, teaching, and drinking tea.

Marius: 1) I love most music, but my favourite kinds would be indie and folk. Sometimes pop, too.  2) I don’t have any pets, but every now and then some birds drop by my window sill for bread crumbs. 3) In the future I plan to be with my true love. It seems silly, but I want a ‘happy ever after’ with my soulmate, you know? In the future I want to help people learn to be accepting and inclusive of everyone no matter what someone’s race or religion is. I also want to come to terms with my grandfather. He can be a stick in the mud, but we love each other and I admit I sort of miss him. New York is a big place, and it’s easy to get cold and lonely. No I’m not crying, it’s just allergies I swear. 4) I think the glass is entirely full of water and air. Although we only see the water, the air is there too and it’s just as important, even if it’s not what we’re looking for. 5) This will probably ruin my reputation but the oddest thing I’ve done when I was bored was stalking Mr. Valjean. In my defense, I had never spoken to him back then and he seemed intimidating but I wanted to find out more about him without actually confronting him and I had a spare class and… anyways I found out that he spends an awful lot of time strolling the streets with Cosette. 6) My favourite hobbies would be walking, reading, and blogging. 

[imalivebarelystriving]

Optional: listen to Lazy Town- Cooking by The Book remix ft. Lil Jon when reading the fic

full fic under the read more just in case you want to read it on tumblr

Curiosity

He, who has lived for longer than you could ever imagine.

He, who has seen civilization rise, and will see it fall.

He, who never gets surprised, as he has seen everything.

No, not everything.

This exchange programme showed him new things.

Things he's grateful for.

"So what better way to show my appreciation than to cook for everyone? Since Christmas is coming around, I thought it would be nice to try a new recipe I found!"

Simeon laughed nervously while Luke had a horrified expression.

Solomon put on an apron and clapped his hands excitedly.

"Alright! Time to start! I saw this 'Devil's Hot Bread' which vaguely resembles gingerbread in the Human World... but I don't remember the recipe. Hmm, it seems that I'll have to try and replicate it to the best of my abilities."

Luke looked as if he was about to cry.

"Solomon, don't you think it would be best if you looked up the recipe before trying to attempt it since you're making it for everyone? Or, you could just buy something instead."

Simeon knew his attempt to save the others failed as soon as he heard Solomon's chuckle.

"It'll be fine. I'm a good chef after all, and I'm very confident in my baking skills. Now sit back and watch me try and make this."

While Solomon's back was turned, Luke whipped out his D.D.D and frantically texted the others to inform them about the tragedy that was about to befall them.

Luke: Everyone! Listen here!

Luke: Solomon's baking something for all of us!

Luke: We're all going to dieee!

Solomon hummed relaxedly, unaware of the situation behind him.

"Now, here's a trick I learnt from the Human World: Don't mix the ingredients before putting them in the oven. That way, it'll create a whole new flavour!"

Simeon looked downright horrified at that point. He and Luke shared a look before stepping forward to attempt to salvage the food (could it even be called food?) that Solomon was trying to make.

"Huh? I thought I said I could handle it, what are you two doing?"

"We wanted to help too, to show our appreciation…?"

"Yes! Let's do this together!"

"Alright, the more the merrier!"

The demons that would eat Solomon's baking would not be very merry.

"Let's add some flour first. It's in most baked confectionaries, so it must be in this, right?"

Luke nodded. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after-

"In it goes!"

Solomon proceeded to dump the entire bag into a large bowl.

Simeon picked up the bag to throw it away but stopped. He turned to the other two, looking alarmed.

"Uh, Solomon? You added baking soda…"

"Oh."

Solomon's grin dropped but quickly came back.

"Well, it's a white powder, so it should do the trick!"

Unbothered, he proceeded to add random ingredients while the angels stepped back, and they could only stare, petrified.

"Dried black-bellied newt legs… I bet this will give it a nice, crispy texture!"

"Solomon, aren't you baking bread?"

"Yes, I am."

"Why would bread be crispy?"

"It's nice to add some elements that are normally not in things to give the consumer a surprise. Also, I'd like to try experimenting with new ingredients. Hopefully, the demons will like it!"

"Ha… ha."

Simeon laughed weakly while Luke stared off into the distance, all hope lost.

Despite the pure horror that was the mixing bowl, Solomon was enjoying himself. Reading labels, deciding whether or not to add certain ingredients, how they would taste, etc. He was happy in his little bubble.

"Pomegranate. It's been a long time since I've had these. I should add these in too!"

As soon as the seeds hit the disgusting mixture, the entire thing went up in flames.

Snapped back to reality by the flames, the two angels rushed back to Solomon's side.

"Waaa! Solomon, what did you do!?"

For the first time throughout the entire process, Solomon looked helpless.

"I added pomegranate and the entire bowl caught on fire."

Simeon looked at the ingredients scattered on the table, then noticed a small box.

"I believe this is what's causing the fire."

Simeon held up the box, which read "ghostly raisins"

"You aren't supposed to mix acidic fruits and sweet fruits. Normally, the most damage they can do is give you a headache or make you nauseated, but this is this Devildom so…"

Solomon nodded in understanding, then sheepishly smiled.

"You two, please stop talking about fruits! The bowl is still on fire and it's not getting any smaller!"

"Right, sorry Luke!"

Maybe next time Solomon would be willing to follow a recipe instead of throwing in whatever he thought might enhance the flavour. Curiosity killed the cat, after all. It certainly killed the demonic mixture that Solomon was making, and Luke's favourite mixing bowl.

SOLOMON BIRTHDAY COLLAB ‘21

Theme: Curiosity

Artist: Ari

Writer: @imalivebarelystriving

Read the full fic here!

[oh-my-otome]

Hello Amalthea! I'm not feeling very well, a migraine and stomach aches. Would you do a headcanon on how the suitors would comfort/take care of me? Also would Giles make me take that awful pink stuff? Please and thank you! Have a nice day or night!

Hello, Precious! 

I hope that you’re feeling better! 

Nico may not have started out as an attendant, but he’s picked up a thing or two since he’s started, and he has just the right brew to help you feel better. He comes into your room, pushing a tea cart, and offers you a mild, but fragrant beverage.

As you blow into your cup to cool the liquid, gentle puffs of steam rolling across the brim, you feel the edge of the bed sink down slightly and Nico sits beside you. Careful not to upset your cup, he winds his arm around your waist, bringing you to him. 

With your head on his shoulder, he drops a sweet kiss near your forehead, as he sighs into your hair: "I hope that you feel better, my princess.”

Giles comes into your room with two things: amoxicillin, the dreaded “pink stuff,” and a knowing smirk.

You know that he’s usually sick, himself, so you can’t help throwing him a look– he should know about the horrid aftertaste of “that stuff,” –and now he’s wielding an overzealous spoonful of it like a weapon. 

Your gaze shifts from the spoon to his smirking mouth, growing more askew by the second, and you’re about to say something, when he speaks: “if a spoonful of sugar will help it go down, then what will kisses do?’

Alyn is legendary for never taking a day off, but when he hears that you’re not feeling well, he clears his schedule. After gathering supplies, he puts them down and goes straight to you.

He doesn’t want to suffocate you, but he does want to be within arm’s reach, so rather than climb in bed with you, he pulls up a chair. 

He stays by your side until you feel better, rubbing the back of your hand and getting anything that you need.

Robert stays up talking to you, trying to keep you comfortable, but when you fall asleep, he’s off doing any chores that were left undone. He wants to help you when you’re feeling sick, but he also wants to make things easier for you, when you get better.

When you wake up, you see that he’s nodded off to sleep in the chair by your bed, with his head resting on his arms, by your side. 

You go to sweep his hair from his brow, and that’s when you notice the vase of freshly picked flowers on your bedside table, that weren’t there when you went to sleep.

You didn’t think he could do it, but Louis was a perfect gentleman when he helped you out in the bath. He stayed on the outside of the footed tub the entire time, and dutifully, but gently, helped to wash you.

He pours water over your hair from a porcelain pitcher, careful to not spill a drop out of place. With gentle little circles, he uses the pads of his fingers to work frothy suds into your locks with your favorite shampoo. 

When you’re done, he leaves for a second and comes back with an armful of fluffy towels. Wrapping you snugly in their pillowy warmth, he carries you back to bed, where he’s set out your favorite night clothes.

Byron is busy meeting with the king and Giles, but whenever he has a break, he comes to your room and visits you. He even sends little notes, when he’s in meetings.

At the end of the night, he’s there by your side, all work done for the day. He asks you to lie down however you feel comfortable, and massages your back and shoulder, kneading you into relaxation with trailing sweeps of his broad hands.

Sid is down in the kitchens, bustling past the servants as they try to help him find the ingredients that he needs. He shoos them all away politely, because he’s determined to do this himself. 

He came to the palace on business, and happened to hear that you were feeling ill. After rushing through his work, he burst into the kitchen, and has been preoccupied with cooking up an Arnault family recipe ever since.

There is a gentle knocking at your door, and Sid glides into the room, holding a soup careen. 

He leaves the lid on, knowing that you may not be hungry right away. To pass the time until you feel peckish, he tells you about his day– any little thing at all, to take your mind off of feeling sick. In no time at all, you’re ready for a bite to eat.

Leo takes a half day, and makes sure that you have lots of fluids. He reads at your side, while you rest up, and when you’re awake, he’s happy to play card games with you, as long as you’re up to it.

He’s knows it’s no fun to be stuck in bed, so in addition to his stack of cards, he’s also brought some of your favorite books with him.

Albert has you resting nestled against his chest, in the circle of his arms, as he snuggles back against the pillows. With the lights in the room dimmed for your comfort, it’s too dark to read.

Instead, you listen to the rich tones of his voice as he begins to paint a story for you. From funny stories about him as a child, to his dream of serving his country, he regales you with whatever he thinks you would find interesting, but he’s open to requests as well.

His voice is low and sweet in your ear, so as to not make your headache worse, and you can feel the warmth of his hands, which rest loosely near your sides.

Rayvis is snuggled up against your back, tucking your head in the crook of his arm. He brushes his free hand along your top arm and your sides, holding you close as you rest.

In this position, you can feel the heat from his body through your back, and a sense of comfort seeps into you, when you ease back against him, melting all of your aches away.

[iamspringday]

Ok thank you. I have a personal question about surprising events. How do you make an event unexpected and shock the readers with no scary sound to go along with the fear? I'm OK at building up and description and metaphors i'm just terrible at jumping out at people. Also another question. How do you make a full conversations between two characters worth reading? I've tried so hard to do this and it always ends. up boring

To be honest… both of the things you addressed happen automatically. Like… I do not plan my writing in a way that I would actively consider how to make a shocking event especially impactful or a conversation interesting… At first, I wasn’t really sure what to answer you since there is no real “recipe” for it… it really just… “ happened”. When I plan stories, I only make a very vague concept of the plot and there has to be this vision of the ending… all the details happen along the way. But the more I thought about your questions, I actually managed to reflect upon my own writing to an extent where I can hopefully give you some advice that might actually help you. So here we go xD

IMPACTFUL SHOCK SITUATIONS: 

I think you are obviously referring to the ending of The Morbidity of Cherry Blossoms here… and I guess there are two main reasons why it turned out kinda intense. 

1. Hint at the big event enough for your readers to get this “I COULD HAVE KNOWN” feeling but never enough to make them realize what is going to happen earlier than you want them to. To be honest, already during scenes like the bomb game I was afraid to give myself away. Like, looking back, Suga’s love for JK is so goddamn obvious already then… but the moment it happened, the readers were apparently distracted by JK’s focus on Jimin and the whole situation of the “eventful” game. What I am driving to: Distract your readers while giving subliminal clues. Turn their attention to something entirely different while letting them catch only a glimpse of “the real thing”. Enough for it to be noticed but not fully grasped. 

2. The peaceful and euphemistic description of the death scene itself. I’d say… also in writing, the quiet scenes should be the really loud ones. In a sense, the scene with the whole factory building on fire was super dramatic but I tried to veil it in rather soft words. I also did that in Butterflies in Autumn Chapter 8 (First Love 2): comparing death to the most basic life metaphors. Describing something so terrible and final with the image of soft cherry blossom petals (wildflowers in Butterflies) is an antagonism that hits people harder than just going for the really dramatic comparisons. The petals swimming on the blood like little boats (or whatever I wrote there^^) is maybe the key sentence here… I tried to create something quasi-aesthetic where, in reality, the characters are faced with nothing but ungraspable horror. In this scene, the action is derived from the unbearable quietness and finality of death. All in all, I tried to make it sound uncannily smooth… to give the readers that “you could have known/it was always so obvious” feeling once again… It hits the reader this hard because they are put in the same situation as Jungkook: Now that they know how many hints they missed, they get the feeling of “I could have avoided that/or at least anticipated and prepared myself”… but the truth is: no, they could not have. They could not have saved him and I didn’t want them to notice until it was time. In a way, the writing technique is very similar to an actual suicide. Little hints go unnoticed until it’s too late. Always remember that language is a tool to convey emotions. In this sense, writing is like composing a song. You have to pick the instruments/tune to fit the occasion. 

INTERESTING DIALOGUE/CONVERSATIONS: 

Wrap your plot progression in dialogues! Make your characters say things that develop your backstory, foreshadow events or make them reflect upon things that already happened to give your readers a better understanding of details you want them to reconsider. Fill them with information that you do not want to give directly yet. It’s sometimes way smarter to make a character drop a remark than to directly state it in a descriptive paragraph. I also think it’s fun to create dialogues that appear the slightest bit staged, you know? Like… I don’t mean make them sound unnatural… but make them the slightest bit cooler than everyday conversations would normally be. Statements dropped during dialogues are most likely to be quoted… do you get what I mean? Try to come up with some ready-witted replies that people might not be able to come up with in actual situations but that make iconic quotes to stick with your readers. Try and find the right balance between casual conversations and some rather deep opinions. You can always speak your own mind through a character… It will make people associate with them even more. Try and give them a unique voice, some signature phrases or a certain way of talking. This way it will get easier for the reader to distinguish who is talking and - as I said - connect with the character.

Wow… that got even longer than I thought it would :O I hope this helped in some way… if you have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask^^

[crisontumblr]

I'd love to see what you can do with #3... but I'm going to make it tough for you and say the fantasy itself shouldn't be steamy. :D

Related Reading: Prompt List | Kissing Day Tag | Tabristair Masterpost

Ngl, I was plenty excited when I saw the blip of a notification Tumblr puts on your dash. Then I saw the twist. But you know what? I got this. I got this prompt. Here we go.

The sun begins to sink low behind the treeswhen Alistair considers that it might be good enough to call it a day. The takein his basket is not entirely what he expected, but then Alistair never hasconsidered himself a master fisherman.

“What doyou think, Barkspawn? Three enough? They’re pretty big, I suppose, aren’t they?Good for a stew or...maybe just a quick steam with a bit of salt.”

The littlemabari pup barks once, little nub of a tail wiggling rapidly; probably in thehope that she might receive another helping of whatever remains from lunch.(The little one is certainly learning well enough from her father, isn’t he?)With a small laugh, Alistair brings the line in and starts to pack up. By somelittle miracle, he finds some remnants of ham from this afternoon, which thedog happily devours. The last of his bait winds up in the lake, a gift of sortsto the craftier fish that evaded his hook.

Firefliesbegin to light the path back to the cottage, becoming a source of wonder forthe puppy running at Alistair’s heels. It’s a short walk from the pier, sure,but the sky in twilight and the fall air moving through the trees make it feeldifferent—like moving through a more pleasant portion of the Fade, only…

Onlythis is better, isn’t it?

Alistairsmiles to himself as the stone cottage comes into view.

Muchbetter.

Aeron hasthe door open before he even gets a chance to knock. Whatever loose bun shepulled her hair into is coming undone. There are smudges of flour on her cheeksand the apron tied around her waist. Her fingers bear the wine-dark stain ofberries. It is, admittedly, an altogether different look for her, but certainlynot a bad one.

“Well?”Aeron asks. “Are you going to come in or do I have to send out a formalinvitation?”

Alistairlaughs at his own expense. “Sorry.” He nudges the door closed with his foot.“Guess it’s been a long day. Makes me much more easily distracted.”

“Does it,now?”

“Mm-hm.Especially when the distraction is so very pretty.”

Aerongrins at him. “Hopefully you’ll have focus enough to eat something, or we mightbe in dire straits.” She points to the basket. “What’s—?”

“Oh! Onlythree of the most gullible fish the lake had to offer. They never knew whathit’em, poor things.” Alistair briefly takes on the expression of a man overlyproud of himself before adding, “Remind me to thank Zevran for those lures hemade. Maybe if I’d used them earlier, we would have more than three fish fortomorrow.”

“It’splenty for one of the recipes I collected.” She takes the basket from him andjerks her head towards the table. “Sit. And he didtell you—”

“And Ishould have listened, and he will at least gloat about it once, but all thesame...” Alistair slides into one of the chairs. Nearby, Barkspawn excitedlyclambers all over an unbothered Shepard. “I should probably thank Nathaniel,too, now that I think about it.”

“I alreadyhave!”

“Yes, butthat’s you. I should also, y’know, show a bit of my owngratitude. Maker forbid he thinks we’re taking advantage of him for—I don’tknow—retreats from duty or whatever this is—”

“This is either a well-deserved vacation or a honeymoon long overdue. Take your pick—”Aeron sets down a steaming bowl of what smells like venison stew. “—and thentell me what you think of this.”

[echoflowertea]

Hi! I have an idea for a prompt! I know I'm a day late, so no rush whatsoever and feel free to take it or not :) It's for a Sans/Readr/Paps. Your sister and her husband have to be away for the weekend or smth and ask you to take care of their baby/toddler (whatever you think fits best for the story). So they take the child to your house where you live with the bros, but then you have to go out for a bit to take baby things, and they are left alone with the kid. They freak out, funny times ensue

here ya go, it’s my birthday so i figured i would give you the gift of a terribly overdue update!!!!

Pairing: Sans/Reader, Papyrus/Reader

Summary: A weekend with your nephew didn’t sound so bad to the skelebros. Maybe they should’ve read more parenting books.

“So you guys really don’t mind?”

“OF COURSE NOT. WE ARE EXCELLENT COMPANY.YOUR PRECIOUS NEPHEW WILL FINALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE CARED FORPERFECTLY! WE HAVE PREPARED THE ULTIMATE DAY OF ULTIMATE FUN FOR SUCH ANOCCASION.”

You shot him a halfhearted smile. Papyrus’confidence almost always made you feel better, but you were a little nervousabout this. It wasn’t as if you didn’t trust the brothers, but they could be alittle…eccentric. As far as you knew, neither of them were well-versed incaring for a child, let alone a human one. Both were still vastly impressed anddisgusted with your bodily functions, which you could control, so having anunpredictable toddler around the house for the day seemed like…

“heh, don’t stress yourself so much. we gotthis.”

You observed them. Papyrus had on his childsafety gear prepped, which included taping a lot of pillows to his body so noneof his joints would end up hurting anyone. Because the brothers were…literallyskeletons, they had some parts that jutted out and could poke or stab if youweren’t careful enough. Papyrus would dress himself up in attire that spokevolumes about how gently he was going to treat this kid.

“Awesome. Thanks, guys. I know that this iskind of last minute.”

Your nephew was supposed to come by nextweek, but his mom and dad had some major things come up. Some business tripsgot moved around, some flights cancelled, and you were their last hope. Youdidn’t mind so much, but you were going to run it by your boyfriends first. Thiswas a relationship founded on open and honest communication, after all.

“SO WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT HIM TO ARRIVE?”

You glanced at the clock. “In a few hours.When they get here, I’ll introduce you.”

Sans grinned and shoved his hands in hispockets, the pinpricks of light in his sockets flaring to life. “we’re gonnahave lots of fun.”

“You’d better not corrupt my nephew, Sans.If he learns a pun from you, I’m breaking up with you.”

“heh heh heh.”

In the short time before your nephew wasdropped off, you and Papyrus perused through the house to make sure everythingdangerous was put away. Anything knee-high was blocked off or sealed up.Papyrus was the one who crawled around on his hands and knees to make sure youdidn’t miss anything, while Sans’ idea of helping was to give half-assed wordsof encouragement from the living room couch.

The doorbell rang and you did your best tobrush the dust bunnies out of your hair before you answered. Sans beat you toit, having shuffled over clad in his signature slippers and that harmless smileon his face.

Your sister looked down at him and inhaledsharply, a little baffled at his presence. She had only ever seen him get upfrom the couch to his seat at the dining table when they stopped by for dinner,so it must’ve been a shock to see him up and about.

“Hi, Sans.”

“heya. c'mon in.”

Your sister paused and glanced over hershoulder. From this angle, you could see a pair of small, chubby hands wrappedaround her leg.

“Sweetie, it’s okay.” She bent down toscoop him up and he clung to her upper half, squeezing tight and burying hisface in the crook of her neck. “Sorry, guys. He just woke up from a nap so he’skind of grumpy.”

“He’s also never seen the new house before.Or met the skelebros,” you ventured. “Sans, Papyrus, this is Moo.”

“MOO?”

The toddler glanced up with shining eyes atthe sound of his name. On top of his head was a spotted, black-and-white capcomplete with floppy ears and tiny horns.

“He likes cows.”

“oh my god.” Sans succeeded in holding inhis laughter.

His mom and dad came in for just a fewminutes. They’d done their best to tell Moo that he would be staying with you,and considering you were his favorite aunt, he was totally cool with that. Butthe two strangers were still a little bit of an unknown for him, so he stuck tohis mom’s side the entire time.

“He should be okay until dinner. I’ve got abunch of spare clothes for him just in case he has an accident, but he shouldtell you when he needs to go.”

“You’re potty-trained, Moo? You’re such abig boy!”

He nodded and took a step away from hismom. The both of you continued to chat while Moo decided to explore the rest ofthe house on his own. His bare feet resting along the hardwood floors, hesquatted down to inspect a pair of shiny sneakers that belonged to none otherthan Papyrus himself.

“HELLO! I SEE YOU’VE SPOTTED MY SHOES!WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY THEM ON?”

Moo plopped down in response. Papyrus washappy to join him on the floor. Instead of tearing his shoes off, he insteadpulled apart the laces and loosened them up enough for the canvas material tostretch out.

Papyrus tore them off one by one andgrinned. “THERE WE GO, AND HERE YOU ARE. GIVE THEM A TRY.”

Moo looked down at his feet and raised aleg up.

“think he wants you to put ‘em on, bro.”

“OH!!! OF COURSE. HOW SILLY OF ME. HERE YOUARE, KING MOO. THE MOST DELICATE OF SLIPPERS TO ADORN YOUR FEET.”

You had to admit, it was adorable as hell.He and Papyrus seemed to be okay with each other. And although Sans didn’t wantto admit it, he was keeping an eyesocket on both of them to make sure thatnothing happened. If anything, it was more of a precaution for what-ifs ratherthan just him being overprotective. Because, like you said, kids were wildsometimes and could snap at any moment.

Proud of his new shoes, Moo did his best topush himself up and balance despite his feet being wayyy too small inside.Papyrus kept a gentle hand on his back while he flopped on over to his parentsto show them what he’d done.

“Oh, Moo! They look great on you!”

He beamed, proud of his work. “Mama! Apitcher!”

She fished out her phone and snapped one ofhim. He stretched out to grab it before she could even bend down to show him,marveling at the screen and swiping left and right. How kids adapted so quicklyto technology these days was beyond you.

It only took a few more minutes before hisparents left. You kissed your sister on the cheek and saw her off, promisingthat Moo would have a great time with you and the bros.

Well. Unfortunately, it looked like the onething your sister forgot to pack were snacks.

You thought you would be prepared for thiskinda thing. But after rushing to the kitchen once Moo started going on aboutwanting his favorite juice – pear, as it was – you realized that none of whatyou bought earlier in the week was going to suffice. In fact…as you rummagedthrough the empty boxes of cereal stuffed in the cabinets, you realized thatyou were completely cleaned out. What the hell!

“Sans, where are the fruit snacks in theshape of animals?”

“the frooty tooties? ate ‘em.”

“MORE LIKE HE CHEWED THEM UP UNTIL THEYWERE SQUISHY AND THEN USED THEM AS POSTER PUTTY TO HANG HIS NEW BLUEPRINTS UP!”

“Please tell me that’s a lie.”

“that’s a lie.”

“WAIT. HIS STATEMENT IS A LIE. BUT IF HE’SLYING ABOUT LYING, THEN DOES THAT MAKE IT A TRUTH?”

“Papyrus, no.”

“yes.”

“WHO DO I BELIEVE???”

You knew that you had to go out and getsome more age-appropriate snacks. Papyrus’ bone-shaped crackers were not goingto be a good combo for a kid who would’ve shoved as many as he could’ve downhis throat. That and the recipe was specifically made for making sure that theskeletons were calcified all to hell, which might’ve been a little weird tofeed a human child. Who knew what kind of repercussions would come out of that.

“Moo, follow me for a sec, okay?” You tookhim by the hoof – err, hand – and led him to the living room. He was alreadybouncing and looked restless. You had no clue when his last meal or snack was,but you weren’t ready to deal with the aftermath just yet.

It was kind of a crappy thing to do, butyou needed some time to talk to the boys in private. So you flicked on the TVand let him busy himself with the mindless chatter of some educationalcartoons.

“Okay, guys. We need a game plan.”

“EXCELLENT. I’LL GRAB MY JOURNAL. ONEMOMENT!” Papyrus rushed out of the room.

Every week Papyrus would pick his best mealfrom an array of dishes he cooked over the week, take about a day to create aphotorealistic painting of it, and then put it on the wall to cover a wall safefull of his most precious treasures. The safe was your idea, so that the dogsnooping around wouldn’t get into his figurines any more. Sans was the one whosuggested switching out the cover so people wouldn’t get suspicious. Why thatseemed logical, you would never know.

After snatching the book, Papyrus returnedto the kitchen for your huddle. He was focused, pen in his gloved hand,eyesockets narrowed, ready to strike the page with copious notes andillustrations.

“whaddid you wanna talk about, babe?”

“Moo needs snacks, since you so graciouslydecided to relieve him of those.”

“yer welcome.”

You sniffed. “Anyways, I need you guys torun to the store and pick him up some stuff. I’ll keep an eye on him here whileyou’re gone.”

“OF COURSE. BRILLIANT. I WOULD EXPECTNOTHING LESS FROM MY OTHER HALF.” Papyrus dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s,his careful penmanship a marvel even from all the way where you stood. “I, FORONE, AM GLAD TO EXPLORE THE BELLY OF THE BEAST OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SOOPERSAVERS!THEY EVEN HAVE THEIR OWN SPICE AISLE. HOW EXCITING.”

“sure, we’ll get in and out in under twentyminutes.” Sans winked.

That mischievous look on his face wasenough to put a wrench in your plans. “Okay, wait a second. I think I decidedtoo fast. Papyrus, we can’t trust Sans to go with anyone to the store. Rememberlast time? He locked you in the freezer for an hour.”

Papyrus gasped. “OH, NO. I HAD ALMOSTFORGOTTEN THOSE TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE MEMORIES!!! THE LOOK OF ABSOLUTE CONTEMPT ONTHE CARTOON COWS’ FACES AS I RESTED AMONG THE DAIRY. THEY SILENTLY JUDGED MYBONE DENSITY AND TEMPTED ME WITH WHISPERS OF CALCIUM INFUSED DRINKS!!!”

Sans kept his downright devilish grin,causing a sweat to bead on his brother’s forehead.

“DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, SANS.”

“well, you n’ me could go.” Sans swunghimself up on the kitchen counter. You weren’t sure how he managed to do thatgiven he was short as hell, but it was best not to question him and his casualabuse of physics. “my bro could stay here with the kid, and you’d make sure iwas on my best behavior.”

“HMM, TRUE. THOUGH THAT WOULD LEAVE ME ATQUITE THE DISADVANTAGE, AS MOST OF MY ACTIVITIES REQUIRE THREE PEOPLE! WE ARETRYING TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION ON MOO, SANS.”

“That and we would never get anythingdone.” You left it at that. You weren’t going to sit there and give him thesatisfaction of mentioning what happened on June 15th. You still hada scar in the shape of a bite mark that refused to go away, no thanks to him.

“WELL, WE COULD LEAVE SANS HERE ALONE ANDDO THE SHOPPING BY OURSELVES.”

You and Papyrus exchanged looks, then burstout laughing. Yeah, right. The entire house would be in shambles by the timeyou got back.

“hey, i resent that…you’re completelyright.”

You snorted. “Okay, so that’s one moreoption down. I guess this leaves one solution. Papyrus, Sans….are you two okayto stay here and watch Moo by yourselves for about an hour?”

Papyrus was quick to agree. Sans shruggedit off.

“WITH MY FAMILIARITY OF THE HOUSE, I WILL HAVENO TROUBLE DEFENDING MYSELF FROM SANS’ PRANKS. AND WE WILL SURELY BE ABLE TOCOMPLETE AT LEAST THREE PUZZLES WITH ALL OF US PARTICIPATING.”

“you gonna be ok buying groceries byyourself, babe?”

“I should be good. I’m more concerned aboutyou guys. But if you’re sure you can handle it, then I would really, reallyappreciate it.”

They both perked up. Any mention of yourapproval sent a pleasant shiver through their bones. Mostly because they lovedyou so much that making you happy was probably one of the only goals theyshared in life. (That and making sure they never missed an episode of the showall of you adored: Tales of the Aboveground, where monsters from all overshared their experiences of living on the surface.)

“THEN IT’S SETTLED. GOODBYE! WE WILL SEEYOU IN A BIT!”

“Hey, wait—”

You barely had a chance to get another wordout before you were shoved outside the front door, your bag magicallypositioned on your shoulder and keys around your fingers. You wanted to givethem some last minute advice, but the absolute Determination on their facesspoke volumes about their commitment to this. They would get through themorning without you and they weren’t going to take no for an answer.

Papyrus made sure to lock the door with aquick flick of his wrist, turning the small button on the knob despite yourprotests from outside. He sniffled.

“NYOO HOO HOO. I HATE TO LEAVE HER ON OURDOORSTEP. BUT WE HAVE TO BE STRONG.”

“it’s ok.”

“YOU’RE RIGHT. MOO NEEDS US.” Papyrus stoodto his full height and narrowed his eyes. “NOW…WHERE IS HE?”

Both paled.

“SANS ARE YOU TELLING ME WE ARE THIRTY-FIVESECONDS INTO OUR DEBUT AS BABYSITTERS AND WE HAVE LOST THE CHILD???”

“relax, bro. he’s gotta be somewhere in thehouse.”

Both went silent for any clues. Aside fromthe gentle trickling of water upstairs, it was relatively peaceful.

Wait…

Trickling water?!

“THE BATHROOM! SANS!!!”

“what about it?”

“HE’S IN THERE! STOP TRYING TO DISTRACT ME!LET’S GO!!!”

Papyrus put his gloved hand on the railingand propelled himself upward the long flight of stairs, Sans trailing behind.

The closer they got to the top, the louderthe noises became. Splashing and giggles. There were a million things thatcould’ve gone wrong when they opened the door, ninety-nine percent of which youwould probably dump them for. And they weren’t going to let that happen.  

“MOO? ARE YOU IN THERE? I WOULD LIKE TOCOME IN AND JOIN YOU!”

Papyrus jiggled the doorknob.

Locked.

“aw, shit.”

“SANS! WHAT DO WE DO?! WE HAVE NO ACCESS TOHIM! HE COULD BE DOING TERRIBLE THINGS IN THERE!”

“relax, bro. we made sure to turn off thewater for the tub. we put on the special seat for the toilet, and all themedications are locked up. there’s nothin’ he could do from his height.”

At that perfect moment, both brotherslooked down to see their feet sinking into a puddle of water creeping out fromunder the door.

Sans started to sweat.

“WELL, LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A JOB FOR MYIMMEASURABLE STRENGTH. STAND BACK, SANS!”

Papyrus readied himself at the door. Thesheer power of his love for you would surely get him through.

“ONE….” He would be a hero!

“TWO…” You would be so impressed with histoddler caring skills!

“THREE!”

He went for a running start and the dooropened.

“GGAAAAAAKKK!”

He dug his heels into the floor and bracedhimself for impact, doing his very best to stop his body from launching intothe room. All he could see was a hundred scenarios that ended up in someonebeing injured, from a minor scrape to complete and utter annihilation. Maybe hewas spending too much time with Undyne after all. His mind was getting to befar more dramatic than he would’ve liked for such a delicate situation.

As he poured his last ounce of strengthinto stopping dead in his tracks, the tip of his shoe caught on the rug Sansinsisted that they place right outside the bathroom. The gross, musty one hepicked up from a garage sale because he thought it was “a bargain”. Yeah, a bigpile of disgustingness and a cheesy line! What kind of pun was, “make some roomfor dessert”???

Papyrus teetered forwards and went crashingdown onto the floor. It didn’t hurt, but it was unpleasant to feel the stifftufts of the rug’s fabric scraping against his bones. Dazed, he lifted his headjust high enough to see the damage.

Moo had somehow tipped the trashcan overand stood up high enough for him to reach over to the sink. He had taken giantwads of toilet paper, coated them in water and soap, and then slapped the mushymass all over the bathroom. On Papyrus self-portrait made of dry pasta. Onthe cute little figurines that you swore brought life to the place. And even onSans’ joke book that had at least fifty unsanitary references!

With his consciousness fading and lastmortified look, Moo took the toilet brush and brought it up to his mouth tosniff it.

Sans knew that his brother would be okay,but it was still hilarious to see him faint like that. He mostly did it when heoverloaded on sensory things, which happened more often when Papyrus didn’thave his gloves on. But today it might’ve just been a combination of all newthings plus the pretty disgusting state the bathroom was in.

Sans couldn’t be prouder of the little guy.Already destroying the grossest room in the entire house. Man, humans werefascinating already with their digestive systems, but all the tools and suchused to help keep things civilized was enough to make him crack up. Seeing alittle kid completely oblivious toward all of that and dismantling the entirepolite system they had going on was amazing.

“kid, i think we’re gonna get along.”

He stuck his hand out, and was promptlygiven a slimy wad of tissue covered in snot.

“oh, man. that’s disgusting. i love it.”

Papyrus stirred from his unscheduled nap.He felt a little groggy, but the anxiety from before he passed out lingeredlong enough for him to snap back to reality. He sat up and rubbed at hiseyesockets.

“SANS? MOO? ARE YOU BOTH HERE?”

The whole bathroom was in disarray. Papyruscouldn’t bear to look! He reached for the door handle and made sure he didn’thave to subject his eyes to any more torture.

Papyrus happened to glance down at hischest while he pulled himself up from the floor. Pinned to his chest, along thepillow armor that had been fitted on him somehow, was a simple note.

countto ten, then see if you can find us

“I AM NOT PLAYING THIS GAME!” he shouted. “OH,WAIT. THERE IS ANOTHER MESSAGE WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF THE PAPER.” He turned itover.

yougotta. if you’re still not convinced, flip me over again

“WHAT!!!” Papyrus did as he was told.

wait,how does this paper have three sides? anyway, if you don’t do it i’ll trashyour room. love, your bro

“I HATE THIS!!!!” And, against his betterjudgment… “ONE, TWO, THREE…”

After ten agonizing seconds, Papyrus madehis way downstairs. He found a trail of flour leading to the backdoor, at leastfive toys strewn across the floor, some plastic utensils wedged between thecouch cushions, and the phone was off the hook with someone shouting on theother line.

“HELLO?” Papyrus scrambled for the phone,managing to wrestle it up to his face despite the long retro cord being tangledup in knots. “YOU HAVE REACHED THE HOME OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HIS EQUALLY GREATLADY, AND ONE LAZY BROTHER, HOW CAN I ASSIST YOU?”

“Paps? It’s me. Is everything okay?”

His breath caught in his throat. Somehow. “AH!!!YES, EVERYTHING IS GOING GREAT!” He started to sweat. “HOW IS THE STORE? HAVEYOU FOUND PRODUCTS AT REASONABLE AND UNBEATABLE PRICES?”

“I think so. I’m in line right now, butthere’s only one cashier and he looked like a new hire. He’s paging the emptystore for someone to do a price check on Mettamuffins. Oh my god. Now he’spanicking.”

“THIS STORY IS INCREDIBLY INTERESTING ANDDOWNRIGHT SCANDALOUS, BUT I HAVE SOME…THINGS…TO ATTEND TO.”

“Hmm. Are you sure you’re doing okay?”

He nearly cracked, but didn’t. “OF COURSEWE AM! I MEAN, OF COURSE I ARE! I WILL JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE I CLEAN UP SOMEOF OUR…ACTIVITIES! GOOD LUCK ON CHECKING OUT YOUR ITEMS! SMOOCH!!!”

He hung up and heard a quiet snicker in theroom.

“SANS, I KNOW YOU’RE IN HERE. THIS CHILD’SPRESENCE HAS MADE YOU EVEN MORE…CHILDISH!!! PLEASE COME OUT OF HIDING, SHE ISCOMING BACK SOON AS WE NEED TO FIX THIS PLACE UP!”

No answer.

Papyrus crossed his arms and thought deeplyon where his brother would be hiding. His favorite spot to snooze in as of latewas the closet near the front door. But it didn’t look like that side of thehouse had been touched just yet. Sans also liked to roll under the couch andsleep under the comfortable weight of the cushions, but when he did that, healmost always managed to kick one slipper off. No sign of that.

As he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a smalldroplet of liquid splashed against the top of his skull.

“…SANS!!!”

“heh heh. ya got me.”

Papyrus looked up and put his hands on hiships. Sans had somehow crawled up to the corner of the ceiling and was wedgedup there.

“WHERE IS MOO?”

“around here. told him to hide.”

“WE NEED TO BE WATCHING HIM!”

Sans slipped down the length of the wallwithout batting an eye. “ok, ok. i told him to hide in my room. let’s check itout.”

The trek toward the brothers’ bedrooms waslong and arduous, filled with slick spots of melting sticks of butter and granola.A gross combination, and Papyrus wasn’t even sure how he managed to get accessto more food. So much for locking everything up. But despite the harsh terrain,both brothers persisted until they reached Sans’ safe haven.

“hey, bro. what’re you doing? knock first.”

“THERE IS NO TIME FOR FORMALITIES. MOO, IAM COMING IN!”

The stench was unbearable. Dirty clotheslying haphazardly on the floor. A lampshade on the floor. Cloudy test tubesstacked on top of each other. Crumpled bedsheets, pillows stained with coffeeand tea, a plate caked with mysterious gray mold. The entire place looked likeit had seen the wrath of a certain three-year-old.

“everythin’ looks normal to me.”

“OH MY GOD. THE SMELL IS EVEN WORSE THAN ITWAS THIS MORNING!”

“oh yeah. i forgot to put this back in thefridge.” Sans picked up a cup of milk that already started to bubble in the smoldering,stuffy summer heat. “was gonna see if i could ferment this, but figured it’d bebetter to start another day.”

“DO YOU SEE HIM?”

“nope. call him.”

“MOOOOOOO!”

Sans’ eyesockets crinkled. “bro, are youpart cow?”

“NO.”

“because that impression was moo-ving.”

“STOP THIS.”

Then they heard it. A gasp. It was faint,but it was there.

“IS THAT…THE ATTIC???”

How did one child manage to maneuver aroundso easily? Humans were so tenacious! Neither of them could imagine raising oneof their own if they were all like this!

“MOOOOOO!”

“moooo.”

It was dark. How did he even navigate? Whenyou moved in with the brothers, there was so much extra stuff that it was allshoved up here. You and Sans promised to sort through it, but every time youwere both up here at the same time, you ended up just making a giant mess andleaving it worse off than when you came.

Papyrus nearly tripped over a giant chestfull of early courting gifts from him. You said they needed to be kept in asafe place, and that they were priceless, so they had to be stored away. Hebelieved you wholeheartedly, because you had wrapped them up in the softestblankets to shield them from dust and time. That and he caught you sneaking uphere sometimes just to admire them.

“bro, did you hear that?”

“HEAR WHAT?”

Sans froze. His eyesockets went dark.

“we’ve been cornered.”

Jumping out from the shadows, fingerssplayed and mouth opened wide, was Moo.

“Raaaah!”

Both of the brothers were surprised, butdid their best not to laugh. A tiny human in a cow costume roaring at them likea dinosaur was…probably the best thing they’d seen in weeks. It didn’t helpthat Moo charged toward them, bending down on all fours, the tiny tail sewn onhis backside flapping with every bounce toward them.

“PLEASE DON’T HURT US!” Papyrus cried.

But it was too late. Moo had conquered themboth, crawling on top of their toppled bodies and declaring himself as thewinner with a loud, long roar.

“alright, kiddo. let’s get you backdownstairs.” Sans plucked him off his chest and tucked him under an arm. “yougave us a big scare.”

“YOU COULD HAVE HURT YOURSELF…” Papyrusbegan. But after seeing the near teary look in Moo’s eyes, he recanted. “YOUWERE VERY BRAVE TO COME UP HERE BY YOURSELF. BUT NEXT TIME YOU SHOULD PLAY NEARUS, OKAY? WE WANT TO SEE MOO THE DINOSAUR UP CLOSE!”

All three of them headed back to the livingroom where Moo’s giant bag still sat untouched.

“I HAVE A COLORING BOOK I THINK YOU WOULDLIKE.”

“Crayons, please!”

“nice job, kid. use yer manners and you’llget far.”

“I SHOULD WASH HIS CLOTHING IN A FEW HOURS.HE LOOKS STICKY. OR IS THAT NORMAL FOR HIS AGE?”

Everything was okay after that. Some minorincidents – like Moo breaking a crayon and then throwing a tantrum despitebeing given the exact same color to use instead. The brothers had to muster up alltheir patience to deal with his screams and flailing limbs, but they managed toget him to stop wailing after a while.

In the end, the house was completelytrashed, but everyone was safe and sound.

You parked the car in the driveway andrummaged through the bag, grabbing a piece of candy to shove in your mouth. Ugh.What was supposed to be a quick trip to the store ended up being the biggestnightmare of your life. Long lines, rude customers, unorganized shelves, aclown blocking your nearest exit until you donated to his law school fund, andeven a broken traffic light that resulted in a twenty-minute detour through afuneral motorcade.

Needless to say, you were relieved to behome.

After gathering everything in your arms,you headed to the door. A smarter person would’ve called the brothers to letthem know that you were here, but you were so exhausted that the thought nevereven crossed your mind.

Knock. Knock.

“who’s there?”

“Sans.”

“sans who?”

“Sans, please let me in, my arms are goingnumb!”

“i don’t get it.”

“PERHAPS THE HUMOR LIES IN THE REALISM.”

“oh, ok.”

You heard him unlatch the door and youpractically burst in. “Someone please help me get these to the kitchen!”

Papyrus did more than that. He simplyscooped you up, bags and all, so that you were no longer crumbling under theircrushing weight. You were relieved to receive help, but gosh, it did bring a littlecolor to your cheeks when he easily carted you around like that.

He set you down in the middle of thekitchen. Without hesitation, you made your way into the fridge and startedshoving all sorts of snacks inside.

“So? How did it go, guys?”

Sans grinned. “eh, so boring.”

“What, really?”

“IT WAS…NEW.”

You peered over the fridge door. “I don’tknow if I like the sound of that. Where’s Moo?”

“NAPPING ON THE COUCH.”

“Wait, you guys actually got him to sleep?”

“he was kinda giving us a run for ourmoney, so it’s nice he decided to help us out with that.”

“Oh, no. Was he a handful?”

“heh. you decide.”

You blinked and stepped away from yourlittle comfort zone, only to fully drink in how destroyed the house was.

Yeah, it looked like a toddler had beenthrough here, all right. Everyone’s possessions poked and prodded. Annoying Dogeven had a balloon strapped to its tail, trying its best to run away from it asit hovered menacingly over its back. The walls had some minor scribbles hereand there, the carpet had splotches of (what you hoped was washable) paint,there were scraps of paper and a pair of kid scissors scattered along thefloor, and even Moo’s stuffed cow was completely soaked.

“Do I want to know?”

“not really.”

“WE HAD FUN, THOUGH.”

You sighed, relieved, and smiled at them.Your chest even felt a little tight. Ew, you were about to get sappy on them.Sugar overload.

“Thanks, guys. I’m really glad.”

“NOW YOU CAN HELP US WATCH OVER MOO FOR THEREST OF THE DAY!”

“yep.” Munch. “might as well include you onthe fun. ‘sides, you haven’t even seen how he pronounced the word ‘fantastic’.”Swallow.

“…why would he even say that in the firstplace?” you ventured. “Wait, never mind. The point is. You two were a hugehelp. I couldn’t have done this without you, and…I’m really looking forward tothe rest of Moo’s visit if I have both of you here with me.”

Papyrus’ eyesockets sparkled. Sans wasembarrassed, but shot you a cheesy grin anyway.

“Alright, when he wakes up, I’ll make him asnack plate. Sans, can you stop eating for a sec and hand me the FrootyTooties?”

“uh…whoops.”

[sablelab]

Roses for Valentine’s Day 2/6

DISCLAIMER:

This AU Valentine story is a complete work of fiction and as such is an entirely fabricated tale created in my imagination.  

Chapter 1

SYNOPSIS:

Last night had helped to ease the blues and meeting Geillis’s boyfriend Dougal Mackenzie had been great, but today was Valentine’s Day and Claire hadn’t heard a word from the person she most wanted to see … James Fraser. She also had a raging headache which only compounded her awful day.  

  CHAPTER 2

 A man is not where he lives, but where he loves. ~ Latin Proverb

 Despite her initial melancholy, Claire had enjoyed the night out with her friend Geillis. It was just the tonic she had needed and despite the throbbing headache she nursed, she’d had a wonderful time at the nightclub kicking her heels up.  She had lain low most of the morning though and had taken the phone off the hook to avoid interruptions and to help dissipate her headache for that was the remedy that worked for her. However, she left her phone on mute and would check from time to time to see if there were any special messages from a certain guy. When nothing was forthcoming, Claire reconciled to herself that she would be spending this Valentine’s Day on her own, but she was still hopeful that Jamie would ring her later that night after he had finished in court.

As she was lying down on her bed nursing the headache that was almost gone, the doorbell suddenly sounded, but Claire immediately got up and rushed to the door with high hopes that it might be Jamie on her doorstep. She opened the door with a brilliant smile on her face, but it soon fell when she saw a delivery man standing there.

“Are you Claire Beau-champ?” He read slowly from the paperwork in his hand.

“Yes, that’s me,” Claire replied used to her name being mispronounced.

“Good.  Then these are for you.” He smiled handing her a beautiful florist box containing at least a dozen or two of beautiful long stemmed red roses. “Sign here please.”

Once her signature was reordered, she gave him back his clipboard and pen. He nodded and then left her standing in her doorway with the elongated box in her arms. “Have a lovely day.”

“Thank you.”

Claire closed the door holding the box of roses lovingly in her arms, her headache immediately gone and her heart full of joy. They were from her love for Valentine’s Day she just knew it and couldn’t wait to open the card to see his message. Taking the card from the box she held it to her heart for a moment before pulling the card out of the envelope with eager fingers.  

 My darling

You may be out of my sight, but not out of my heart. You may be out of my reach but not out of my mind. I'm always thinking of you. Wishing I could with you my love on Valentine’s Day.

I love you Claire.

Jamie

 The tears immediately began to roll down her cheeks as Claire read the words her love had penned. He wasn’t able to be here today and she would just have to reconcile that as a fact … but it didn’t stop her from feeling miserable … utterly miserable. She was missing the other part of her heart on this special day, the one who was so far away in New York.   Claire closed her eyes but all she could see was James Fraser’s handsome face, then when she opened them again it only made her miss him all the more.

Although he didn’t actually say he would call on the card, she knew he would but it was not the same as having him there in person. Placing the card on the hall side table she opened the box and gazed at the beautiful long-stemmed roses before leaning down to inhale their perfume.  As she did so a silent tear fell onto the delicate petals. She was heartbroken that Jamie couldn’t be here and it seemed as if her heart was bleeding the vibrant colour of the flowers he had sent.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Claire had been moping around feeling down in the dumps and nursing a headache when Jamie’s flowers had arrived this morning. Now, as she looked at her apartment and at the roses in a vase, she felt a little better. The flowers served to remind her that he loved her and if he had been able to, Jamie would have been there to share the day with her. It was a long shot anyway because of the distance, but also because of the demands of his job.  This case had been taxing and he’d had few opportunities to even plan a small trip back home. It had not been possible, but still she had hoped that a miracle of some sort would delay proceedings and that Jamie just might have been able to come home to see her.

Knowing that she couldn’t change things even if she had wanted to, Claire smiled. At least he hadn’t forgotten Valentine’s Day altogether. When and if he did ring, Claire couldn’t wait to hear his voice over the phone.

Feeling so much better after a pep talk with herself, and given that her stomach was letting her know it needed sustenance, Claire decided to cook one of her favourite recipes for dinner tonight. Cooking always made her happy and given that it was a special day she decided to make something that Jamie had loved when he was last here.  It was her speciality and she loved cooking it.  If he couldn’t be here in person, then she would pretend that he was until she could see him again in the flesh.

Fetching some wine to go with her meal, Claire stopped when she heard a soft knock on the door.  Although it was wishful thinking, her heart was in her mouth hoping beyond hope that perhaps it was her Jamie and that she had been melancholy for nothing. Perhaps the flowers this morning had been a ruse and he had managed to get some time off and was going to surprise her in person for Valentine’s Day.  She quickly tidied her hair to be more presentable for Jamie, should he be there, then she made her way to the front door of her apartment still carrying the bottle of wine in her hand.  Her heart was in her mouth thinking that perhaps it was indeed Jamie, so taking a deep breath; Claire peered through the peep-hole to see who it was. She smiled and opened the door. 

“Hey!” 

“Hi Claire.” 

“Come in. I was just about to open a bottle of wine. Would you like a glass?” She asked holing up the bottle and showing it to Geillis. “Sure, but I won’t stay long.” “That’s okay … You can stay for dinner. I’ve got enough to feed an army.” “Thanks, but Dougal is picking me up shortly … we’re going on a date.” Geillis couldn’t contain her delight, “A Valentine’s date.”

“Oh, how lovely for you,” Claire replied without looking her friend in the eye.  She poured Geillis a glass of wine and handed it to her.

“Oh. I’m so sorry Claire, I didn’t mean to …”

“It’s okay Geillis.  I’m fine.” She smiled at her fleetingly then deftly changed the subject, “So … How was your day?”

“Excellent … Dougal rang about tonight.”

“I really liked him.  He seems like a great guy.”

“He is. How was yours?  Have you heard from Jamie?”

There was sadness in Claire’s voice as she answered her friend.  “I’ve had a raging headache, but it’s gone now.” She paused before continuing, “And … no … I haven’t heard from him yet.  I’m beginning to get a little worried that he may not ring.”

“Well, who sent you the flowers? Someone who obviously loves you a lot.  There must be at least two dozen roses Claire.”

“They’re from Jamie.”

“Awww!  He adores you and I’m sure he will have a good reason for not contacting you. Perhaps he wants to surprise you Claire. I bet he rings. Could the roses be the start of a huge big surprise?”

“Maybe … I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“There you go then.  That will be the answer.  Just you wait.  I bet he will turn up when you least expect it.”

“Yep, you’re probably right.  Let’s drink to that.”

The girls clinked their glasses together and laughed as they both simultaneously said, “To surprises.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The two women were on their second glass of wine when suddenly, without warning a loud knock sounded reverberating above their laughter. A brief expression of “I wonder who that could be,” flashed across their faces, but it was Geillis who answered.  

“Oh my … look at the time. That’s probably Dougal. I better get going Claire.”

“I’ll go and see if it’s him.  Wait here, I’ll be right back,” Claire said excusing herself as she went to answer the door.

Slightly inebriated from the wine and lack of food, Claire failed to check the security panel to see who was indeed knocking at this time of the night.  Looking over her shoulder first to where she could see her friend Geillis, Claire turned her eyes back towards the door to where the unidentified stranger was standing. Then with her hand on the door knob, Claire happily called out, “Is that you Dougal?” as she opened the door.

“Who’s Dougal?” A lilting Scottish brogue with a slightly miffed resonance echoed in her ears.

As if in slow motion Claire Beauchamp looked up at the person standing there.  Her beating heart had suddenly jumped into her mouth. 

“Hi.”

His voice ran over her like smooth chocolate and Claire felt her body buckle at just that one little word. Giving him an awkward smile, she was transfixed by his appearance at her door and just managed to find the words to speak. “Jamie …”

It had been several months since he’d been to her Glasgow apartment, and his tone was a little intimidating tinged with interest and concealed jealousy in the underlying unanswered question, “Were ye expecting someone else?”

“No … No … My friend is here and she is waiting for her boyfriend.”

“Dougal?”  he replied with that cheeky eyebrow lift that turned her knees weak.  Jamie’s eyes were piercing and Claire suddenly felt a little nervous.

“Y-es … Dougal.”

“I see.”

She took a deep breath.  Having regained some semblance of equilibrium, Claire finally mumbled, “How are you Jamie?”

He gave Claire a casual kiss on the cheek in greeting for the person’s benefit who may be watching from her lounge room, but his penetrating gaze for his woman, however, was far more smouldering with sexual intent.  “Fine … You?” 

“Good.”

James Fraser’s blue eyes slowly caressed her form from top to bottom. His eyes meandered down to where Claire’s chest was heaving in a slow rise and fall.  He then leisurely wandered his gaze back up her chest where his penetrating eyes caressed her throat. He could see her neck pulse throbbing in heightened anticipation of the lips she knew would caress this very spot before his gaze lazily rested on Claire’s kissable lips.

“Smells like ye’re cooking.” Claire nearly forgot to breathe. Jamie was devouring her with his eyes and if not for company she knew he would have taken her then and there on the spot.   “Yes … yes, I am,” she muttered.

“Can I come in?”

“What?  What did you say?” she finally stammered, licking her lips that had suddenly gone dry.

The look in Jamie’s eyes darkened as he watched with eyes like a hawk the movement of Claire’s tongue gliding over the lips he ached to connect with. “May I come in Miss Beauchamp?” he said, stepping past her before she had a chance to answer. “I’ve had a long flight and I came directly from the airport. I couldna miss Valentine’s Day, now could I Claire?”

She paused for only a moment before she agreed, stepping aside and inviting him inside. “Of course, …” She watched him come through the doorway. Her knees still felt weak, so she remained leaning against the door-jamb to gather her balance before facing him once more. Noticing that Claire hadn’t moved, Jamie took her hand in his, then reached behind her to shut the door. Gently he pushed her backwards until she was leaning against the wooded frame. One hand reached up to caress her cheekbone.

"Jamie?” She mumbled at last, stammering over her words. “Why? … How? … Where … have you been?”

Those piercing blue eyes of his looked deep into her eyes as he softly said, “Moving mountains tae make my way back here … to ye of course.”

“I’ve missed you.”

“And I’ve missed ye too mo nighean donn,” he said, smiling again.

Claire stood for a moment staring at him, blinking her eyes as if she expected him to disappear.  His words however, had seeped into her soul like a tsunami. The impact of their devastation to her senses made her stumble a little and Jamie gathered her hand in his to steady her.  He stood, looking at her expectantly. Then his face lit up with such a brilliant smile that Claire could only reciprocate in kind.

“Oh … I almost forgot. These are for you,” he stated as Jamie held out the most magnificent bouquet of long stemmed red roses that Claire had ever seen.

Had Jamie really been holding those roses all of the time? Funny, but she hadn't noticed them at all … all she had seen was the man who had travelled over an ocean to be with her today of all days.

“More flowers … Oh, Jamie … they’re beautiful. Thank you.”

“Ye’re beautiful,” he whispered against her enticing lips. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my darling.”

Jamie’s lips tasted wonderful and Claire’s pliant lips trembled against his as her man applied a little more pressure to his caress. All rational thought suddenly left her mind and she was floating on cloud nine to know that her Jamie had made it home for Valentine’s Day after all. In fact, she was a blithering puddle of feelings and if not for Jamie’s restraint, Claire would have deepened his kiss and wrapped her arms around him crushing his beautiful flowers to her chest in her desire to feel him close.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

However much he wanted to deepen their embrace, Jamie was cognizant that they were not alone and that Claire had a visitor, so speaking more loudly for her guest’s benefit he stated, “I just flew in from New York and couldna wait to see ye.”

 Keeping his penetrating gaze on Claire, Jamie removed his leather gloves and placed them on the bureau inside the entry foyer. He then took a moment to look around to reacquaint himself with her apartment as they walked into the lounge room to greet Claire’s visitor. What he saw was a lovely, young woman, about Claire’s age with long auburn hair who was sitting on the couch looking first at Claire and then to himself with a silly grin on her face. Geillis quickly stood up to greet him as he came into the room with her friend who was looking a little shell shocked.

Just barely remembering to breathe, Claire introduced them. “Oh … Geillis? This is Jamie … James Fraser.” Eyeing the handsome stranger, knowing immediately that this was indeed her friend’s mystery boyfriend Jamie, she smiled at him offering him her hand in greeting, “Hi, I’m Geillis Duncan.” “Nice to meet ye,” he replied shaking her hand warmly.

“I’ve heard a lot about you Jamie.”

Clandestinely looking over at Claire he answered, “Really? Good things I hope.”

“Yes of course … it’s so great to put a face to what I saw in my imagination.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Eventually snapping back into some semblance of normality after his penetrating glance, Claire looked at her friend and Jamie making small talk.  Judging by their initial first encounter she felt happy that they seemed to have hit it off.

“Ah … Can I get you something to drink Jamie?”

He could see that Claire was a little nervous but that didn’t stop his need to tease her without mercy. His penetrating eyes held hers with intent, knowing that his gaze was doing all sorts of funny things to her stomach. “Please. A whisky would be nice. Thank ye mo ghràidh.”

“Geillis?  Another wine? “

“Sure … why not. Can’t let Jamie drink alone.”

Claire poured her friend another glass from the bottle they had already opened before turning to her love. “I’ll be back with your drink in a minute. Why don’t you sit down and get acquainted with Geillis? I also need to put these flowers in some water,” Claire said pressing her nose against the soft petals to absorb their perfume. “I won’t be long.”

Casting a glance at Geillis she mouthed, “Behave.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When she was out of sight, Jamie looked inquisitively at her friend and asked, “So, how long have ye ken my Claire?” 

“Uh … oh … a couple of months now. I’m Claire’s neighbour. I live in the apartment downstairs.”

“And how did ye meet?”

“At the local tennis court actually,” she laughed, “but we have similar jobs and just hit it off as if we had known each other forever.”

“So, what exactly do ye do then Geillis?” Jamie asked interested in Claire”s friend.

“I’m and interior decorator.  Claire has asked me to some of her architect projects. And yourself?  I am sorry but I overheard you say you had just flown in from New York.”

“Aye … I’m a lawyer, but I’m afraid I canna discuss anything about the case I’m working on.”

“I understand.  You’re Scottish too I gather, so how did you come to be working in the States?”

“Long story.  Perhaps another time …” his voice suddenly wavered and Geillis immediately knew that Claire had returned because Jamie’s gaze softened when he saw her enter the room as he glanced her way.  

Claire looked from one person to the other and they seemed to be getting on well and this pleased her no end.  She really liked Geillis and hoped that Jamie did too. Perhaps, depending on how long he was here in Glasgow, they might be able to double date with her boyfriend Dougal.

“I’m so glad to see that you too are getting along,” Claire stated as she walked over towards Jamie with his scotch in her hand.

“I hope he hasn’t been telling you all of my secrets?”

“No …  Not a one, but if he wants to spill the beans, I’m only too happy to listen. I’m good at keeping secrets.”

“You’re incorrigible Geillis.”

Claire smiled at her friend who seemed to be enjoying seeing her a little off kilter in front of her man. She was a little nervous but it was more a nervous anticipation of what might happen once Geillis had left the apartment.  She hadn’t seen Jamie for months and she wanted desperately to kiss him … really kiss him and have him kiss her in return. Invisible sparks were flying backwards and forwards between them and their heightened state of arousal was simmering on the surface for all to see. Claire knew Geillis had noticed.  It was hard not to.

As she handed Jamie the glass of amber fluid, his hand brushed hers ever so briefly but with an intimacy that not only made her fingers tingle but made her heart skip a beat as well.  Perhaps it was also a combination of the looks they exchanged as much as the briefness of the touch that had her breathing shallowly. Sitting down on the couch next to Geillis and opposite the chair where Jamie was sitting, their eyes locked as she picked up her own unfinished glass of wine and took a long drink nearly finishing all of it.

James Fraser’s captivating eyes were fixed on Claire’s as he sipped from his glass, much to Geillis’s amusement at the barely disguised sexual tension emanating from these two people.  The man was in agony and she knew that he just wanted to be left alone with the woman he had not seen for several months.  Jamie looked as if he could ravish her on the spot and take no prisoners.  Seeing these intense lovelorn looks he was giving her friend, Geillis decided it was time to go and leave them alone.

“Hey Claire … I’m really sorry … but … I really ought to be going.”

“You sure?” Claire replied not glancing at her friend but bathing in the piercing gaze from Jamie. 

“Dougal will be here shortly and I need to make his eyeballs singe by looking so ravishingly beautiful that he won’t be able to resist me.”  

Breaking her stare, she finally looked at Geillis. “I’m sure you’ll knock his socks off.”

She in turn smiled at her friend then turning her gaze to Claire’s man said, “Nice to meet you Jamie.”

“Likewise,” he replied and stood up as she made her way to the front door with Claire by her side.

“Have a great time on your date Geillis, and remember it’s what’s on the inside that counts the most, not the outward appearances you know.”

She gave Claire a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “Thanks, that means a lot, but I still need to get ready. Oh … and by the way, your Jamie is devilishly handsome and so nice. I like him.  He’s a keeper.”

“He is, isn’t he?” Claire smiled coyly in response, as if she had a secret, she wasn’t quite ready to share just yet. Geillis noticed the tell tale flush that coloured her friend’s cheeks when she replied and knew that Claire was hopelessly in love with the Adonis whom she had just met.

However, as they were saying their goodbyes, a loud beep suddenly sounded from the kitchen and pierced the air.

“You have a great reunion with your man too Claire. But, by the looks on Jamie’s face I don’t think there will be much eating of food happening tonight.”

“Geill-is!!!!” Claire groaned in disbelief that her friend had said something so risqué.

“Have a happy Valentine’s Day with your Valentine,” she stated with a wicked grin on her face, and with that, Claire’s friend left for her own rendezvous with her special someone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* to be continued

Thanks for reading and I hope you are enjoying my Valentine story. xox